Neon Genesis: Goddess J
by Slayer6
Summary: AU Crossover. Third installment of my Neon Genesis: Goddess series. 500 years have past since the events of NG:GR and now an ememy from the past threatens the future of Terra 2. Completed
1. Prologue

I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ah My Goddess! or Saber Marionette J.  
They are owned by their respected companies and creators  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
  
200 years after the events in Neon Genesis: Goddess R  
  
  
Alarms and explosions echoed all over the Mesopotamia. The captain turned to one of his officers.  
  
"Status." He said calmly.  
  
"The computer is malfunctioning. Dr. Lorelei is trying to restore it." the officer replied.  
  
The captain turned back to face forward. "Prep the shuttle. We may have to launch it sooner then we expect."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
The man ran as fast as he could through the Mesopotamia's hallways.  
  
'Dammit, I should have suspected that THEY would be here.' He thought. 'The boss isn't gonna like this one bit.'  
  
The man rounded a corner just as someone stuck out their foot. The man tripped over the foot and sailed through the air, crashing hard to the decking. He rolled over in pain to see what he had hit. He found a staff pointed directly at his face.  
  
"Hello there Demon." A female voice came. "We've been waiting for you."  
  
The man looked behind the staff to see two women standing there. The one holding the staff had long red hair. The other had long brown hair. Both did not look happy.  
  
"Demon?" began the man. "I'm not a ...." The brown hair one raised her hand. Pain flared through the man's body, finally forcing him to give up his disguise. Red Demon markings flared into existence on his face. He stared at the two women. He could not see any markings on either of their faces, which meant....he was in trouble.  
  
"You're the Guardians." It was not a question, but a statement of fact.  
  
The red head finally cracked a smile. "Guardians Asuka and Rei, nice to meet you." He face lost the smile as another explosion rocked the ship. "Now then, What is your mission?"  
  
The demon smiled. "My mission is complete. There is nothing you can do now."  
  
"What!?" asked Asuka surprised, "What have you done?"  
  
"It no longer matters," replied the Demon. "The wheels have been set in motion, and you can't stop them. I have convinced the computer that the humans aboard this ship are a threat to it's creator." He smiled. "Who knew that a computer could have emotions. It believes that it is in love with her. It will now terminate all life onboard, except hers."  
  
Asuka and Rei stared at each other before turning and running towards the nearest computer access point.  
  
"IT'S TOO LATE!!" the Demon shouted, "YOU HAVE FAILED!!!"  
  
Asuka turned and pointed her staff at the Demon. "Oh Shut up!" The staff spit forth an energy blast that ripped through the demon, killing him instantly. Asuka then turned and ran towards the Terminal Rei was standing at.  
  
"Rei?"  
  
"Sorry Asuka," Rei said quietly, "There's nothing we can do. Most of the systems are already destroyed, the computer has total control."  
  
The vessel gave a sudden lurch as another explosion, louder then the others, echoed though the corridors.  
  
"What was that?" asked Asuka.  
  
"The bridge launched the shuttle towards the planet." replied Rei, "Just before the bridge itself was destroyed."  
  
"Was there anyone on the shuttle?"  
  
"Six people, all males.   
  
"Is there anyway to get anyone else off the ship?"  
  
Rei shook her head, "No."  
  
Asuka let out a sigh before another explosion shook the ship. "Then that's it......we've failed." Asuka turned and faced Rei. "We'd better report to the boss. She is not going to be happy."  
  
Rei took one finally look around. "Perhaps it is not the end. After all, mortals are very resourceful."  
  
Asuka shook her head. "I swear Rei, your sounding more and more like Peorth everyday."  
  
With that, both vanished from the corridor. Seconds later an explosion ripped through the terminal they had just been standing at.  
  
  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Ieyasu Tokugawa stared out over the vast desolate plain that the shuttle had crashed onto. He and the other 5 men were still in shock over what had happened on the ship. Now.....  
  
'Oh my god....' He thought. 'What will we do now?'  
  
High up on the remains of the shuttle, a woman with brown hair watched the men look about the area. Later she watched quietly from above as the men discussed their plight. Her face darkened slightly as they mentioned the idea of cloning each other. After watching and listening for several more minutes, she climbed out of the wreck and proceeded to slid down its side.  
  
'Mom needs to know this.' She thought quietly. She then vanished into a mirrored piece of the shuttle. 


	2. Chapter 1: Old Enemy returns

Chapter 1  
  
Old Enemy returns  
  
  
  
  
300 years later.  
  
Yggdrasil  
Terra 2 report  
  
Begin  
  
To understand the current situation on Terra 2, one must look to the past. 500 years ago, the mortals began to recover from the second impact and the failed third impact. The population began to increase significantly, soon reaching its pre-second impact levels, but with much less land to live upon. By 2225, it became clear to the mortals that their planet could no longer sustain the vast population. It was decided to construct several colony ships and send them out into the stars. It was decided in a meeting of the Council of Heaven that several gods and goddesses would go along with to observe and report. It was further decided that a council member would be chosen to oversee each colony ship to its destination, its arrival, and eventually, the colony itself as the population grew. Wish granted was also suspended until the colonies became functional as Kami-sama wanted the mortals to make the planet livable, without help from divine hands. I was told to watch over the ship know as the Mesopotamia. I placed onboard 2 of the Guardians of Heaven and my own daughter to keep watch. The Guardian's had been placed under my control, as Kami-sama trusted no one else more then his daughter. As the craft neared the planet that would become known as Terra 2, I was informed of possible demon sightings on board. Since the battle for the heavens, there have been several incidents due to rogue demon activity. It was a rogue demon which initiated the failure of the computer onboard the Mesopotamia. A shuttle was launched, but with only 6 mortal males onboard. It crash landed onto the planet. The remaining crew were all killed off by the malfunctioning computer. Only Dr. Lorelei was spared, as the computer apparently was in love with her. She was eventually forced into hibernation sleep by the computer. At first it seemed as if the Terra 2 mortals would be written off, but they proved us wrong. They increased their numbers through cloning, and began to build a civilization. Unfortunately, they were unable to clone a female, as no female DNA existed. The mortals did create robots, which they called marionettes, in the image of females. But these marionettes, like many machines, lacked emotions. For the next 300 years, the mortals of Terra 2 existed this way. The 6 city-nations flourished and their populations grew. However, around the 300th year of life on Terra 2, war clouds began to gather. As in much of mortal history, one man felt he could rule all, and that man was Lord Faust of Gartlant. It was during this time that a mortal named Otaru Maimya found 3 Saber Marionettes. Unlike normal marionettes, Sabers were designed for battle. But these Sabers were built for a different purpose. Installed within each was a device known as a maiden circuit, which allowed these marionettes to posses emotions. The intention was to allow the marionettes to develop and mature to the point that they might be used as an artificial female, to secure the release of Dr. Lorelei from the Mesopotamia computer. This was achieved, though it left the mortal Otaru Maimya heartbroken. Mesopotamia eventually released the marionettes back to Maimya. The ship has remained silent since. At the time of this report, peace now reigns on Terra 2, and clones of Lorelei are being produced. It will not be long before Terra 2 becomes a normal world, much like the other colonies. I look forward to the day it does, for that will be the day the wish restriction will be lifted from Terra 2, allowing us to operate in conjunction with the other offices. Until that day, we shall remain on guard against the rogue demons, who will stop at nothing to prevent Terra 2 from reaching Wish status.  
  
Report recorded by  
Belldandy Morisato  
Class 0 Goddess, Type 2, Unlimited  
Member Council of Heaven  
Terra 2 Representative  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Things were getting back to normal in Japoness. The plasma storms that had threatened the entire planet had subsided to the point that they no longer existed. Life was returning to normal for the people of Japoness.  
  
Otaru opened his bedroom door and step out into the living area. Cherry was moving about preparing breakfast, while Lime was watching the TV. Bloodberry was nowhere in site.  
  
"Good morning." Otaru said as he sat down at the table.  
  
"Good morning Master Otaru." said Cherry as she set his breakfast down in front of him. Lime raced over and grabbed Otaru in a hug.  
  
"Morning Otaru!" she shouted as she hugged him.  
  
"So where's Bloodberry this morning?" asked Otaru.  
  
Cherry let out a sigh. "She was out drinking again with Panther. She didn't come back until late."  
  
"Again? Well, at least they're getting along." Otaru glanced at the clock. "Wow. I'm going to be late for work." Otaru raced over and grabbed his things. "Lime, remember you, Cherry, and Bloodberry are supposed to stop by and see Lorelei today."  
  
"YAY!" shouted Lime jumping to her feet, "I'm gonna visit Lorelei. I'm gonna visit Lorelei."  
  
Otaru watched Lime dance around for a moment. He then shook his head and opened the front door.  
  
"OTARU-KUN!!" Otaru found himself wrapped up in the arms of Hanagata. "You wouldn't leave with out saying good-bye to me, would you?"  
  
Otaru tried to pry Hanagata off. Finally he turned and looked to Cherry. Cherry, having expected this to happen, brought her frying pan crashing down on Hanagata's head. Hanagata crashed to the ground. He lay there in a heap for only a second as Lime lined up her kick.  
  
"This one's for the game!" shouted Lime. She ran forward and punted Hanagata between two tall trees. Lime raised both her arms in the air. "And the kick is good!"  
  
Otaru shook his head and then quietly left for work.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Sitting on top of one of Japoness's taller buildings, a man with red markings on his face watched Hanagata fly through the air, creating a crater when he landed.  
  
"What fools these mortals be." He muttered.   
  
"Sir?" The man turned to look at the two Saber Marionettes he had brought with him.  
  
"Nothing," he replied, "continue to observe the primary objective."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
He then turned and joined the watch on the primary objective, Castle Japoness.  
  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Several Hours later.  
  
  
Lime, Cherry and Bloodberry walked through the gates and entered Castle Japoness.  
  
Bloodberry let out a yawn. "I still don't see why you got me up so early. We made it on time."  
  
"It still took you two hours to get ready," replied Cherry, glaring at Bloodberry. "And we are actually a half hour early. I just told you we were running late so you'd hurry."  
  
"YOU WHAT!?" Bloodberry turned and returned the glare. "I oughta...."  
  
"Hi Tama! Hi Baiko!" came Lime's voice.  
  
Bloodberry and Cherry both turned to see the Imperial Guard standing nearby, watching them.  
  
"Oh..Hi Baiko, Tamasaburo." said Cherry quickly.  
  
"You are expected." replied Baiko, "Come with us."  
  
The Guard led the 3 girls into the castle. Across from the entrance, a lone figure peered around the corner of a tower along the wall and watched. She wore an outfit that seemed to be almost like a uniform, topped off by a helmet on her head, which had a tinted face shield that covered the upper portion of her face. As she watched the marionettes disappear, a small smile came to her face. She then turned around and slowly began to scan the city. She gripped the roof a bit tighter as a strong wind whipped by, blowing her blue hair in front of her face.  
  
"I hate this part of the job." she muttered.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The Guard led the girls into the reception room.  
  
"Lorelei," said Baiko, "Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry have arrived."  
  
Lorelei smiled, "Thank you Baiko, you and Tamasaburo may do your patrol now."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am." With that, the guard turned and left the room.  
  
"Lorelei!!" Lime raced over and grabbed Lorelei in a hug.  
  
"Hello Lime." She then nodded to the other 2. "Cherry, Bloodberry."  
  
After the girls had sat down, Lorelei turned to them.  
  
"So," she said, "what have you been up too?"  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Cherry. "Otaru said you needed us for something."  
  
"Well, yes and no." replied Lorelei, "You see, I really don't get to leave the castle, and the only people I get to talk to are the men working on the clones, and Baiko and Tamasaburo. Unfortunately, there are some things that I really don't want to talk to the men about, and talking to the Imperial guards is.....rather frustrating."  
  
"Why is that?" asked Cherry.  
  
"Unlike you three, they don't have maiden circuits. That makes them......difficult to talk to."  
  
"What about Tiger? And Luchs?" asked Lime.  
  
"Don't forget Panther." added Bloodberry with a smile.  
  
"Nothing against them," said Lorelei, "But they still have a lot to learn, also Baiko still does not fully trust them."  
  
"I see." said Cherry quietly.  
  
"There is something else though..." Lorelei turned to Lime, "Lime, could you go to the kitchen and get us some drinks."  
  
"Ok!" Lime got up and quickly ran off towards the kitchen.  
  
Lorelei waited until Lime was gone before turning to Cherry and Bloodberry. "I also wanted to find out how Lime was doing after what happened to Marine."  
  
Bloodberry let out a sigh, "She still misses her. Sometimes she calls out to her while she's asleep."  
  
Cherry nodded, "She doesn't say anything to us about her, but we know she's still hurting." Cherry was unable to say more as Lime arrived with the drinks.  
  
"Thank you Lime." said Lorelei with a smile. "So how is Otaru doing these days Lime?"  
  
A big smile came to Lime's face as she began to talk about her favorite person.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
The man glanced at his watch.  
  
"Alright, time to move out." He turned and faced the 2 Saber Marionettes behind him. "You know what to do."  
  
"Yes sir." the two Sabers quickly moved off and left the roof. The man stood up, turned and looked back at the castle.  
  
"Soon," he said, "I will prove myself to you, my Lord. By eliminating the clones, and their template." A sudden whirling noise reached his ears. He quickly jumped off the roof. Three throwing stars slammed into the spot where he had stood. Landing further down the roof line, he turned and spotted a marionette standing nearby.  
  
"The Imperial Guard." She said. "Baiko."  
  
"And her partner," The man turned around to see another marionette had come up behind him. "Tamasaburo. Why are you here?"  
  
The man smiled. "I'm not your primary concern." He pointed towards the castle. "They are." 2 groups, 3 Saber Marionettes each, ran towards the castle. Baiko and Tamasaburo looked at the marionettes, back to the man, and then back to the marionettes. The man gave them an evil smile. "Their getting close...better decide quickly."  
  
Baiko nodded to Tamasaburo, who then launched herself off the roof towards one group of marionettes. Baiko turned back to the man. "We will meet again." She then took off towards the second group. The man smirked at her retreating form.  
  
"I don't doubt it."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Lorelei and the 3 girls were still having a pleasant conversation when an explosion rattled the castle. They ran to the balcony to see a group of Saber Marionettes charging onto the castle grounds.  
  
Cherry turned to Lorelei. "You stay here. We'll handle this." Cherry, Lime and Bloodberry quickly leaped from the balcony. They landed just in front of the charging Sabers.  
  
"I don't think you have an invitation." Bloodberry said as she ran towards the lead Saber. She threw a punch at the Saber, but it ducked out of the way.  
  
"Huh?" Bloodberry found herself off balance. The Saber quickly swept its foot out, causing Bloodberry to come crashing to the ground. Bloodberry jumped back to her feet and threw a series of punches. Each was dodged by the Saber. As she threw one punch, the Saber grabbed her arm, and tossed her. Bloodberry crashed to the ground  
  
"Damn," muttered Bloodberry, "These guys are quick."  
  
Cherry soon also found out how different these Sabers were as she was tossed against the Castle wall. Lime was also having a difficult time with her Saber as she was moving as fast as she could, trying to avoid being hit. The lead Saber continued to head towards the Castle doors, when Tamasaburo landed in front of it, her sword drawn.  
  
"You will not pass." She quickly swung her sword at the Saber. The Saber dodged the swipe and took several steps back as Tamasaburo pressed on with her attack. Cherry took that moment to quickly scan the attacking Sabers.  
  
"They're Gartlant Sabers!" she shouted. "But there are areas on them that are shielded from my sensors."  
  
"Great," muttered Bloodberry, getting back to her feet, "More leftovers." A loud shout caused both to turn. Lime hurtled through the air, crashing through 2 trees before slamming into the castle wall with a loud crunch. She then slowly slid to the ground.  
  
"Lime!" Bloodberry turned to face the Saber that had tossed Lime. "Alright, Now I'm mad!" Bloodberry charged the Saber. They were soon locked together, both trying to overpower the other. Cherry started to run towards Bloodberry, when the remaining Saber slammed into her. It held her to the ground, choking her. Cherry felt her consciousness slipping away as her systems began to shutdown. Just as she was about to shutdown completely, a blur slammed into the Saber, sending it flying. Cherry turned to see Luchs next to her.  
  
"Wha....What are you doing here?" asked Cherry as she slowly got to her feet.  
  
"Nice to see you too." said Luchs with a smile, "We heard the explosion and came to investigate. Panther and Tiger are with the other Imperial Guard fighting another group of these....things."  
  
"But they're Gartlant Sabers!"  
  
"If they are, they sure aren't now." Luchs raised her hand. Three glowing blades appeared. "And soon they'll be scrap." The Saber she had just knocked down was getting back to its feet. Luchs flung the blades at the Saber. They ripped through the Saber as if it wasn't even there. The Saber fell to the ground, spitting sparks.  
  
"Nice." said Cherry, staring at Luchs handy work.  
  
"1 down," said Luchs, "2 to go." She started to turn towards the one that Bloodberry was fighting, when Cherry let out a gasp. Luchs turned to see the Saber that she had just hit slowly rising from the ground. The wounds that she had inflected upon it had healed over.  
  
"OK...." Luchs said, "Now it's getting interesting."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
On the other side of the Castle, Baiko, Panther, and Tiger found themselves out of their league. No matter what they tried, the attacking Sabers countered quickly and easily.  
  
"Any ideas?" asked Panther as the Sabers surrounded them.  
  
"No." Baiko answered quietly.  
  
"Me either," added Tiger, "That regenerating thing eliminated anything I thought up."  
  
"Great." muttered Panther. "Well, if we're going to go, I say we charge them."  
  
"Very well." replied Baiko.  
  
"On three," said Tiger. "One........Two......Th"  
  
As Tiger began to say three, one of the Sabers shattered in a massive explosion. Baiko, and the 2 Saber Dolls were tossed across the street. Tiger slowly raised herself to her knees and looked up. A figure in a gray uniform stood facing the Sabers. The figure wore a helmet with a face shield that covered the upper part of her face, and revealed little else. She kind of reminded Tiger of one of the types of Marionettes Gartlant used for espionage. She even had red hair.  
  
The newcomer and the Sabers slowly began to circle each other. A staff flashed into existence in the newcomers hands, to the surprise of Tiger and Panther. Baiko's face remained neutral.  
  
"Alright Dolls." muttered the newcomer, her voice dripping with hate, "Let's see what you got."  
  
Tiger was now surprised even more. The new Marionette had spoken with emotion, which meant she had to have a maiden circuit.  
  
The newcomer raised her staff at one of the Saber. A blast of energy shot out of the end of the staff. The blast slammed into the Saber, causing it to explode. The remaining Saber stared at the newcomer before deciding to retreat.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" shouted the newcomer, "You won't get away from me Doll!"  
  
The newcomer charged at the Saber. As she got close to the Saber, she jabbed the staff into the ground and vaulted into the air. Her foot smashed through the back of the Saber. As it exited out of the front, it pushed a glowing red orb out with it. The Saber crashed to the ground. The newcomer walked slowly up to the glowing red orb, she seemed surprise to see it, but that surprised was replaced by a very grim expression. She waited until the orb had gone dark before picking it up. She looked at the orb for a few seconds, then vanished in a loud thunderclap. Tiger turned and looked at Panther.  
  
"Did I just see that?"  
  
Panther nodded.  
  
"What kind of Marionette was THAT?!"  
  
Panther shrugged, "I have no idea."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Back at the entrance,  
  
Bloodberry, Cherry, Luchs, and Tamasaburo were backed up against the wall. Each had various injuries that emitted sparks every so often. The Attacking Sabers lined up and began to slowly march towards the 4. They were just steps away when a stiff wind came up. The wind became stronger and began to spin about the attacking Sabers, creating a tornado. The Sabers tumbled about inside the tornado faster and faster. Finally, the tornado turned and spat out the Sabers directly at the Castle wall. Two exploded immediately. The remaining one slowly wobbled to its feet. Luchs, Cherry, and Bloodberry stared at each other in shock.  
  
"Nice toss." came a voice. The 3, along with Tamasaburo turned to see 2 female figures standing together. One was in a gray uniform, the other was in blue and white robes. Both wore helmets with face shields that covered all but the lower part of their faces. The one in gray had long blue hair, the other had brown.  
  
Brown turned to blue, "Thanks," she said, "but I was hoping to get all three."  
  
"Who the hell are you?!" shouted Bloodberry. Brown and Blue both turned and looked at Bloodberry.  
  
Blue said something in a language that none of the marionettes understood. Brown nodded. She turned and raised her hand. An energy ball formed in her palm and shot towards the last Saber, which was promptly destroyed. Blue then placed her hand on Brown's shoulder. Both vanished in a thunderclap. The 4 marionettes continued to stare at the spot for a few seconds before collapsing to the ground. On top of a building overlooking the castle grounds, the man watched the 3 strangers eliminate his Sabers.  
  
"Damn." He muttered before vanishing in a fireball.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
A half hour later.  
  
  
  
Otaru stood next to Lorelei in a chamber deep inside Castle Japoness. In front of them, the 8 marionettes stood against the wall, held there by special equipment, as they were repaired. Otaru looked worriedly at Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry. Lorelei saw his look and smiled.  
  
"Don't worry, they'll up and about in a few hours."  
  
Otaru nodded, "Any ideas who did this?"  
  
"Actually, Yes." She led Otaru to a table where the only surviving Saber body lay, a giant hole punched through its chest. "This is one of the Sabers that attacked."  
  
Otaru stared at the Saber, "It looks like a Gartlant Saber."  
  
"It is, or at least was. This one's been modified."  
  
"How?"  
  
Lorelei brought up a schematic on a nearby screen. "Someone added new components. Many of which I can't even begin to identify. There is also the matter of a power source."  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"Both Tiger and Panther said when that other Marionette attacked it, it kicked a red orb out. I believe that that orb was the power supply."  
  
Otaru looked at Lorelei confused. "An orb? This gets stranger and stranger."  
  
"You mean having the Saber repair itself after taking sever damage isn't." Lorelei let out a sigh, "This all sounds familiar to me somehow. Like I read about this somewhere before." She turned and looked back at Otaru. "I'm going to go through Baiko's and Tamasaburo's databases ands see what I can come up with about these Sabers and those other Marionettes. Faust is on his way here to help. In the meantime..."  
  
"Yes?" asked Otaru.  
  
"Get some rest." ordered Lorelei, "It won't do them any good if they wake up to a tired and restless Otaru."  
  
Otaru smiled, "Alright."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
The man stood before his lord's throne.  
  
"The Sabers?" asked the Lord.  
  
"They performed as expected my Lord." replied the man. "But....."  
  
"But?"  
  
"They were easily destroyed by those.....Goddesses."  
  
The Lord stood up and walked towards his minion. "Do not worry Gamorr. These were just the prototypes. The next time our Sabers battle, they will be the production model."  
  
"Yes my Lord." Gamorr replied rather quietly.  
  
The Lord noticed this. "You have a problem?"  
  
"My Lord, I still do not understand why we must use these......machines."  
  
"Because our numbers are still few. 500 years ago, I led much of Hell on an invasion of Heaven. We took it and held it for a week, before our misguided brothers restored Heaven to its previous owners. Our forces were scattered. It took 150 years before we were able to restore our forces. But we are still outnumbered by the Gods and our misguided brothers. Thus, I intend to increase our forces using these, machines. Soon... the heavens will once again fear the name of Draco."  
  
"But sir," replied Gamorr, "One of the Goddesses left with an intact...."  
  
"So what?" said Draco, "It will only cause more fear amongst them. In the meantime, you still have a job to do."  
  
"Yes my Lord."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Rei and Sayoko stood inside an office in front of a desk. Behind the desk sat Goddess Class 0, Type 2, Unlimited Belldandy. She wore a tired look on her face.  
  
"So, the Demons have begun acting up again." Belldandy let out a sigh. "I almost wish Mara had been wrong. Do you know what their target is?"  
  
Sayoko nodded. "We think it is either the clones, or Lorelei herself."  
  
"300 years ago....This office almost ceased to exist because of rogue demons." said Belldandy, "Now with the possibility of Terra 2 becoming a normal world with the introduction of the female...they strike again. I don't need to tell you how important this is. The clones and Lorelei must survive."  
  
"Yes Mother." replied Sayoko.   
  
"Yes Ma'am." Rei said as she nodded.  
  
"I'm afraid that's going to be tougher then you think." Came a voice from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Asuka walking into the office.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Belldandy.  
  
Asuka walked up to the desk, "I knocked this out of one of those Dolls." She placed the red orb onto the desktop. "One guess what it is..."  
  
Belldandy, Rei and Sayoko stared at the orb in shock. Finally, Rei found her voice.  
  
"An S2 engine?"  
  
Asuka nodded. "Things just became more difficult on Terra 2." She turned to Belldandy. "Any chance of the stooge or my Husband joining us on this one?"  
  
Belldandy shook her head. "Touji and Shinji are still out on another assignment. Best I can do is see if I can get another God or Goddess to join you."  
  
Asuka let out a sigh, "I suppose that would help, but I was really hoping to see Shinji again."  
  
Belldandy smiled. "You think I want to be here? I'd rather be at home with Keiichi, just as I'm sure Touji would like to be home with Hikari....unfortunately...this job comes with long hours...." Belldandy let out a sigh. "I'll inform the council. And I'll talk to Mara. In the meantime......"  
  
"Watch the castle." finished Sayoko, "of course we will Mother."  
  
"That and watch yourselves." added Belldandy. " It's been 300 years, but Lorelei might remember you from Mesopotamia."  
  
"Yes Ma'am/Mother"  
  
Sayoko, Asuka and Rei quickly vanished. Belldandy sat at her desk, staring at the S2 Engine.  
  
'Asuka was right though...... Things have become more difficult on Terra 2.'  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Author's notes: This fic will not be out as quickly as past ones. Not only am I working on this fic, but I am continuing to work on the fic that occurs during the 7 year gap at the end of NG:G. Also at the urging of a fellow author (cough dennisud cough), I am working on a fic for Ryoma's Christmas Evangelion Fan Fic contest. Hopefully I will have that ready by the deadline. I do have it mostly done....I'm just having a few people on the Anime Planet pre-read before I send it in. 


	3. Chapter 2: Very Unusual Marionettes

Chapter 2  
Very Unusual Marionettes  
  
  
  
  
Otaru awoke to the sensation of being shook. Otaru lifted his head from the desk where he lay to see Lorelei smiling at him.  
  
"There are some people here who wish to see you."  
  
She led Otaru into the repair area. Three heads immediately turned as he entered.  
  
"OTARU!!""Master Otaru!""Otaru!" three voices shouted simultaneously. Otaru found himself wrapped up in the arms of Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry. Nearby the Saber Dolls watched with smiles on their faces.  
  
Otaru was almost in tears as he returned the hugs. "I'm glad your alright." He said to them.  
  
"Go ahead and take them home Otaru." Otaru looked up at Lorelei.  
  
"Are you sure? I mean...Who's going to guard you?" Otaru pointed to Baiko and Tamasaburo who were still being worked on.  
  
"Don't forget about us." said Panther.  
  
"We'll watch her Otaru," said Tiger, "don't worry. Besides, Faust is on his way here, so here is where we'll wait."  
  
Otaru nodded to the Saber Dolls. "Alright then." He then glanced over at Lorelei. "Let me know if you need anything or if you find out anything new."  
  
Lorelei nodded. "I will."  
  
Otaru turned to the girls, "Alright, Let's go home."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
* I can't believe you got me to do this.... * A very irritated red head sent to her companions.  
  
  
Sayoko glanced at Asuka from the corner of her eye. * There are no females on this planet, so we HAVE to look like marionettes. *  
  
* Dressing up like a doll was not in my job description. * replied Asuka.  
  
Two blocks away, Rei responded, * Quit grumbling, you don't hear the rest of us complaining. *  
  
* This from a former doll herself. *  
  
* HEY!! You red headed 100% Bitc.......... *  
  
* SHUT-UP!! * A fourth voice immediately silenced Rei and Asuka. After it was quiet for a bit the voice spoke again. * Asuka, I know you don't like this, but that was not fair to Rei and you know it. What would Shinji and your daughter say to you if they heard about this? *  
  
Asuka felt a pang of guilt, * Rei, I'm sorry. I... *  
  
* Asuka, don't worry. It is forgotten. * replied Rei.  
  
Sayoko glanced at Asuka a second time before she spotted something they had been looking for.  
  
* Asuka, Rei, Aunt Skuld. I have subjects in sight. I see three of the marionettes and a mortal walking together. *  
  
* Are you sure it's them? * asked Skuld.  
  
* Unless you know of other marionettes who have emotions, Yeah these are it. *  
  
* Follow them, find out exactly where they live. *  
  
* Yes Auntie. What are you going to do? *  
  
* Rei and I are going to patrol the outside of the castle. *  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"...... it was really weird Otaru," said Bloodberry, "I've never seen Gartlant Sabers move that fast, or regenerate."  
  
"From what Lorelei said, someone modified them." said Otaru.  
  
"But what were they after?" asked Lime.  
  
"The most valuable things in Castle Japoness," replied Cherry, "Lorelei and her clones."  
  
"But why would they want Lorelei? Or her clones?"  
  
"Without the clones, Terra 2 would have remained the same way it had for the last 300 years." replied Cherry. "The Shogun would have sacrificed his life for nothing."  
  
"Grandpa?" Lime looked slightly surprised, then a very stern expression came on her face. "I won't let anything happen to Lorelei!"  
  
"That's right," added Bloodberry, "We're a part of her, and we'll protect her, just like we protect Otaru!"  
  
"Yeah!" shouted Lime. She threw her arms around Otaru. "I LOVE YOU OTARU!!" Otaru stumbled back into a passing marionette. He, Lime, and the other marionette tumbled to the ground in a pile.  
  
Otaru glanced over at the Marionette that he and Lime had run into. It was quite beautiful, for a marionette. It had red hair and blue eyes. However, something else caught Otaru's attention.  
  
"Scheist! Gott verdammt es!"  
  
Otaru was slightly stunned, 'Did that marionette just swear?'  
  
"I'm sorry." Lime said as she helped the marionette stand up. "I didn't mean to knock you over. My name is Lime." she offered her hand to the marionette, "What's yours?"  
  
Otaru could have sworn that the marionette's face seemed to go pale. "uhhh uhhh."  
  
"Asuka." Otaru turned to see a Brown haired Marionette standing just off to the side. This marionette was also rather beautiful and also had blue eyes. "The Master awaits us." the marionette said in a monotone. "You waste our time." The marionette quickly turned and walked off. The red headed marionette's face seemed to turn red for a second, before the marionette took off very quickly after its partner.  
  
"Well that was rather rude." said Cherry. "Don't you agree Master Otaru?"  
  
When Otaru did not answer, Cherry turned to look at Otaru. "Master Otaru?"  
  
Lime waved her hand in front of Otaru. "Hey Otaru?"  
  
Bloodberry moved her head next to his and followed his line of sight. "HEY! He's checking out those marionettes!!"  
  
"WHAT!?!" shouted Lima and Cherry.  
  
Otaru found himself being pulled in three different directions. "Master Otaru how could you?" "Yeah Otaru, your mine!" "Hey! I love Otaru." "Lime leggo! He's mine!" "Master Otaru is very dear to me!" "He needs a real woman, not some flat-chested girl like you!" "How dare you! You..you drunkard!" "Hey Otaru! What's a drunkard?" Otaru was reaching his limit when a fourth voice came into the fray.  
  
"OTARU-KUN!!" shouted Hanagata as he popped out of nowhere. "Forget these machines! For only I can satisfy you!"  
  
"ENOUGH!!!" shouted Otaru, "QUIET!" Otaru stared at the 4 in front of him. He turned and faced the 3 marionettes. "You three STOP FIGHTING! And you.." Otaru began turning towards Hanagata. " You can..."  
  
"Yes Otaru-kun? My besttest friend in the world......"  
  
Otaru let out a long sigh. "I give up. Girls...." Otaru began to walk away.  
  
"Otaru-kun! Wait." Hanagata began to reach out to Otaru when 3 pairs of hands grabbed him. Hanagata turned to see 3 very unhappy marionettes.  
  
"You got Otaru mad at us!" muttered Lime.  
  
"The master was quite well till you butted in!" added Cherry.  
  
Hanagata paled from the looks he was getting, "What are you going to do?" he asked.  
  
Bloodberry held up her fist, "I hear Japoness is very pretty from space. Tell us all about it when you get back."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Further up the street, Asuka was very pissed. * How could you treat me like that! They ran into me! You made it sound like I'm a screw-up! *  
  
Sayoko glanced at Asuka. * If I didn't, you might have said something else that might blow the mission. And before you ask what I'm talking about, did I or did I not hear German cursing? *  
  
Asuka seemed to calm down very quickly, * Sayoko... *  
  
* Yes? *  
  
* Thanks for putting up with me. *  
  
* I've done it for 500 years, I don't intend to stop anytime soon either. *  
  
* Hey Sayoko, did you notice something funny about that doll, Lime? *  
  
Sayoko thought back a second. * Now that you mention it.....The voice sounded familiar. *  
  
* It sounded like....... Rei. *  
  
The sound of someone screaming came to their ears. They turned to see someone rapidly heading upwards toward the sky.  
  
"YOU'RE SO CRUEL!!!" the person shouted as they flew by. Asuka and Sayoko looked at each other. Both then shrugged and continued walking.   
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Lorelei let out a sigh and grabbed her cup of coffee as she pushed herself back from the computer. Luchs looked up from where she had been working.  
  
"Anything wrong?"  
  
Lorelei shook her head, "I'm just tired. I've been searching through the database trying to find something about that red orb. I know I've seen that before, I just can't remember where." Lorelei then typed in a command on the computer. "I did get this out of Baiko and Tamasaburo's memories." A series of pictures appeared in the screen. In several were the attacking Sabers. 3 contained pictures of the 3 Marionettes that eventually defeated the Sabers. And then there was one picture that showed a man with strange red markings on his face. Luchs stared curiously at the last picture.  
  
"Who is that?"  
  
"According to the Baiko," replied Lorelei, "this is the one who commanded the Sabers."  
  
"Any I.D.?"  
  
"No. And so far I have not found any reason for the facial markings."  
  
Luchs looked down at the computer that Lorelei was typing into. "You're not using the full database...."  
  
"Huh?" Lorelei looked at the terminal, "What do you mean?"  
  
"There are files that you are not accessing," replied Luchs, "some involving secrets dating back to Earth. Faust might have to codes to access them."  
  
Lorelei looked at Luchs curiously, "Why would Faust have access codes to a locked database on a Japoness computer system?"  
  
"It goes back to the original crash landing. When the 6 originally set up their city states, each had a copy of that secured database and the codes to access it. Over time, it was forgotten, except by Faust, because..."  
  
"I know, Each Faust clone received the memories of its predecessor, so that Faust has memories going all the way back to earth." Lorelei looked back to the computer. "When will he arrive?"  
  
"Not soon enough."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Gamorr was once again on top of the rooftop, looking towards Castle Japoness. Behind him was another Demon, a female, and 4 more modified Sabers. Gamorr turned to the Demoness.  
  
"You understand your orders, Calisto?"  
  
"I understand that I am to try and eliminate the mortal Lorelei and her clones." replied Calisto, "But why must I bring these.....things with me?"  
  
Gamorr let out a sigh, "These Sabers have been modified with S2 engines, giving them unlimited endurance. They have also received other upgrades which make them even more capable in combat."  
  
"And yet they were defeated quickly with the arrival of 3 Goddesses."  
  
Gamorr frowned at Calisto, "One Goddess, two Guardians. And those were the prototypes. These Sabers have something the others did not."  
  
Calisto looked at Gamorr questioningly, "And that is?"  
  
Gamorr turned back to the castle, "You'll find out. Now go."  
  
"Yes sir." Calisto leaped from the building, the 4 Sabers following her.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Skuld and Rei were on their way around the castle for a second time when both felt a sudden chill. Both stared at each other a second in surprise, then turned and raced towards the castle wall.  
  
* Asuka, Sayoko. Demons detected at the Castle. Move. * Skuld sent.  
  
When Skuld and Rei were close to the wall, they jumped, as they soared over the wall, their outfits changed to their Battle outfits, complete with their helmets. They landed inside the castle walls, and continued towards the castle.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Lorelei stood up. "I'm going to go rest for a while. Let me know if you find anything."  
  
Luchs nodded, "Alright."  
  
Lorelei walked towards the elevator that would take her out of the underground facility and into the main castle area, when the room shuddered. Lorelei stepped backwards and turned to Luchs.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
Luchs looked upwards, her eyes glowed as she scanned the areas above. When she was done, she turned and looked at Lorelei.  
  
"We're in trouble."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Panther and Tiger dove around a corner as the area where they had just been standing exploded.  
  
"This isn't fun." muttered Panther.  
  
"Tell me about it." replied Tiger.  
  
"Come out Come out where ever you are!" came a female voice.  
  
Tiger peered around the corner. She could see 5 marionettes, 4 looked like Gartlant Sabers, while the remaining one had red markings on its face. It was this one that was speaking.  
  
"Awww Don't you want to play with Mistress Calisto?" the marionette called out. It then seemed to notice Tiger. "I SEE YOU!!" Calisto raised a hand. A ball of energy appeared and shot towards Tiger. Tiger's eyes went wide.  
  
"MOVE!" she shouted to Panther. They ran down the corridor as the corner they had been standing at was shattered in another explosion. It was then they received a transmission.  
  
"Tiger, Panther. What's going on?" came Luchs' voice.  
  
"Panther and I are trying very hard not to become scrap." responded Tiger, "Some olds friends are back."  
  
"Head for corridor 6." ordered Luchs, "I have a squad of Japoness Sabers waiting."  
  
"Right." Tiger and Panther ran towards the indicated corridor. As they rounded the corner, they skidded to a halt. 20 Japoness Cherry Blossoms stood before them with spears drawn.  
  
"Uh Tiger, Panther, maybe you should move out of their way?" came Luchs voice.  
  
Tiger and Panther stood up against either wall as the Japoness Sabers moved towards the oncoming enemy. The sounds of fighting and explosions echoed throughout the hallways. Finally Tiger peered around the corner. The sight that met her eyes shocked her. The 5 enemy marionettes stood standing over a pile of twisted and broken Japoness Sabers. Calisto looked up at the sight of Tiger.  
  
"Thanks for the warm-up. Now to move on with the main event!" Calisto began to move towards Tiger, the other Sabers following. Tiger quickly turned and ran off down the corridor, Panther just behind her.  
  
"Any more ideas Luchs?" Tiger called out.  
  
"Get down here." came Luchs reply. "Lime, Cherry, Bloodberry are on their way, and Lorelei is trying to get Baiko and Tamasaburo up."  
  
Tiger and Panther entered the elevator and hit the button for the labs. The doors shut just as Calisto reached them.  
  
"You only delay the inevitable." She muttered. She then turned to the 4 Sabers behind her. "Well? Don't just stand there! They went down! Get those doors open!"  
  
"Yes Mistress." replied the Sabers.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Gamorr watched as various areas of Japoness Castle exploded, showing him where Calisto was.  
  
'Good, very good.' thought Gamorr, 'Lord Draco will be pleased.'  
  
From below, the sound of a sonic boom reached his ears. He looked down to see marionette screeching to a halt. Further up the street, 2 more marionettes were heading towards the castle, followed by a mortal. Gamorr recognized the Marionettes from the other day.  
  
* Calisto, more marionettes have arrived. What is your progress? *  
  
* We are on our way down to an underground facility, Lorelei will not survive much longer. *  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Tiger, Luchs, and Panther all stood around Lorelei. Lorelei was frantically trying to reactivate Tamasaburo and Baiko, but both still had problems. A loud crash from the elevator announced the arrival of the attacking Sabers. The doors were knocked away as the 4 former Gartlant Sabers stepped out, followed by Calisto. Calisto spotted Lorelei.  
  
"Ah, the mortal female, at last. Prepare to die!"  
  
"You have to get through us first." replied Tiger. She pulled out her energy whip, as the other Saber Dolls pulled out their weapons.  
  
Calisto smirked at the Saber Dolls. "Heh, like you can stop me."  
  
Panther finally had enough. "I'll show you." The star over her right eye began to glow. An energy beam shot forth directly at Calisto. Calisto made no move or effort to avoid the shot. Just as it was about to hit her, a red shield flared before her, causing the beam to deflect towards the wall. Panther stared stunned. Luchs then tossed her energy blades at one of the Gartlant Sabers. Her blades were halted by a hexagonal shield that formed in front of the Saber. Calisto smiled.  
  
"As you can see, any resistance is hopeless." Her eyes then narrowed," Now...prepare to die."  
  
The Saber Dolls all crouched, ready to fight to the end. Lorelei watched in fear as the Sabers began to walk forward. Calisto started to laugh rather sadistically. Lorelei closed her eyes.  
  
"Please Lord, Help me."  
  
Calisto's cackle was cut short as a ball of energy slammed into her. She flew back, crashing into the chamber wall. She looked up, her red eyes full of anger. The Saber Dolls and Lorelei all turned to see where the energy ball had come from. Two marionettes stood calmly near Lorelei's fallen cup of coffee. One was the blue hair marionette from the other day. The other had dark hair, and wore a red and white outfit. That one spoke first.  
  
"You Demon's are all the same." said the Dark haired one. "You always have to give off that annoying cackle."  
  
Calisto stared at the newcomers and got extremely pissed. "Forget the mortal!" she shouted at her Sabers. "GET THE GODDESSES!!"  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
The 4 Sabers immediately charged at the new targets. Skuld watched the other 3 marionettes grab Lorelei and moved her as far away from the battle as they could. Skuld then turned back and took careful aim. She cut loose with a force bolt at one of the oncoming Sabers. Once again the hexagonal shield appeared, deflecting the shot.  
  
"Damn!" muttered Skuld. She quickly leaped into the air, allowing the charging Sabers to pass under her. Rei also took to the air, but as she jumped, she turned in mid flight and threw her staff at the back of one of the Sabers. The staff slammed into the hexagonal shield, but instead of deflecting, the staff transformed itself. The point seemed to split, becoming a Lance. In this form, the lance broke through the shields and impacted against the Saber, hitting it where the S2 Engine was located. The Saber jerked for a second before it fell backwards. A loud whine began to fill the air as the engine reached critical. The core exploded, knocking the other Sabers back towards Calisto and smashing equipment all around. The Saber Dolls moved over Lorelei, protecting her from the blast and the debris that rained down from the ceiling. Calisto looked up at the 2 Goddesses before her.  
  
"You may not get them all," she said," There's still only 2 of you, and 4 of us."  
  
"I beg to differ."  
  
Calisto turned to see two new figures appearing within the chamber. Skuld and Rei smiled at the arriving help. The Saber Dolls easily recognized these two as the remaining marionettes from the day before, the red head, and the brunette, and continued to watch.  
  
"Its now more even, don't you think?" continued Asuka.  
  
Calisto's eyes flared. "GET THEM!"  
  
The remaining Sabers charged at the closest target to them. Calisto also picked out a target.  
  
"You Goddesses have interfered for the last time." She said to Rei.  
  
"I'm not a Goddess," replied Rei, "I'm a Guardian."  
  
Calisto's face paled a bit, "You're a... " she shook her head, "No matter, I will defeat you" To prove her point, Calisto charged at Rei, pulling out her demon sword as she ran. Rei dodged Calisto's first and seconds attacks. She then flipped over Calisto and ran towards where her weapon lay pierced into the floor. She grabbed it and raised it just in time to block a swipe from Calisto. Rei and Calisto exchanged dirty looks before continuing to battle around the chamber. While Rei continued to battle the Demon, Asuka, Skuld and Sayoko ran through the corridors of the castle with the enemy Sabers in pursuit.  
  
"I love Demon programming," said Skuld with a smile, "They blindly obey the last orders they were given, no matter what."  
  
Asuka glanced over at Skuld, "And this helps us how?"  
  
"The farther we lead them away, the more likely Lorelei will survive. Rei can handle the Demoness."  
  
"And how long do you expect us to keep running?" asked Asuka.  
  
Skuld glanced at Asuka funny. "Who said we had to run?" With that, Skuld lifted her feet off the ground and flew along the corridors about 2 feet off the ground. Asuka stared at Skuld a second longer before taking off herself.  
  
"500 years as a God-like being," muttered Asuka, "and I still forget the basics."  
  
Sayoko smiled at Asuka before turning to her Aunt. "How much longer?"  
  
"Lead them outside," replied Skuld, "I don't want to bring the castle down on us when they explode."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Lime, Cherry, Bloodberry, and Otaru entered the chamber. Before them, 2 marionettes were locked in fierce combat.  
  
Cherry and Bloodberry immediaty recognized one of the Marionettes.  
  
"Master!" shouted Cherry, "That's one of the Marionettes that saved us yesterday."  
  
Otaru was about to reply when he heard someone shout his name. Otaru turned to see Lorelei protected by the Saber Dolls, He and the girls immediately headed to them.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked Otaru.  
  
Lorelei nodded. "There are 6 other marionettes running around the castle, 3 of them are of the Gartlant type, the other 3 are like that one." Lorelei pointed to the blue haired marionette.  
  
"Is there anything we can do?" asked Cherry.  
  
"No." replied Tiger, "Some type of shield prevented us from doing anything. Only they seem to be able to break through."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Rei was starting to get tired. The Demon just would not give up. She was just barely able to block the Demon's attacks. Finally, after blocking a blow, Rei forced the demon's sword into the floor and pinned it there with her staff. Calisto snarled in anger and swung her elbow into Rei's face. The Demon hit her with such force that Rei's face shield shattered along the right side, the Demon's elbow crashing into her face. Rei fell backwards, clutching her face as her helmet tumbled across the floor. Rei lay on the ground, stunned, blood dripped from her face. The Demon slowly walked over her.  
  
"Now it ends....Guardian." Calisto raised her sword, preparing to deliver the death blow, when she was sent flying across the room from an impact, losing her sword in the process. Calisto looked up to see the red-headed marionette standing over her.  
  
"That's not very nice to hit someone when their down." said Bloodberry with a smirk.  
  
Calisto snarled and raised her hand.  
  
Lorelei, having seen what raising a hand meant, shouted out, "MOVE BLOODBERRY!!"  
  
Bloodberry jumped quickly out of the way, the force bolt slamming into the ceiling. Pieces of the ceiling collapsed onto Bloodberry, pinning her to the floor. Calisto got to her feet and began to walked towards the marionettes and mortals.  
  
"That's it." Calisto raised her hand. "Now it ends."  
  
"I agree."  
  
Calisto turned around just in time to catch the force bolt directly in her chest. Rei watched as the bolt ate through Calisto, who gave out one final cry before she collapsed. Rei let out a sigh before she fell to her knees, still holding the side of her face. A loud gasp caused her to turn towards the mortals.  
  
Lorelei stared at Rei in shock. "But its...You...It can't be...."  
  
Rei's eyes widened as she realized she was no longer wearing her helmet and her face was in full view. She quickly vanished in a flash and a thunder clap. Lorelei continued to stare in shock.  
  
Three loud explosions in succession caused all present to look towards the ceiling. Luchs walked over to one of the remaining functioning computers and brought up an outside camera view. 3 craters marked the spots where the sabers had exploded. Luchs saw the other 3 marionettes for a second before they vanished in a flash. Luchs turned back to the others.  
  
"The attackers have been destroyed, and our defenders have vanished."  
  
As Luchs spoke, Panther and Bloodberry walked over to the remains of the demon, while Lorelei walked over to the helmet that had been left. She picked it up, staring at the broken face shield. Cherry came up next to her. Noticing pieces of the shield on the ground, Cherry bent down and pick up one of the larger ones. Feeling something on the piece, Cherry dropped it and looked at her hand. Her finger tips were covered in a red fluid. She recognized it, even without her scanners.  
  
"Lorelei," Cherry said shakily, "This is blood. That wasn't a marionette..."  
  
"I know." Lorelei said quietly, still looking at the helmet. "She's real."  
  
"Who was it?" Luchs asked, turning to Lorelei.  
  
"An old friend." replied Lorelei, "One who should be dead."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Gamorr ducked as a chair hurtled past his head. "I'm sorry my Lord, but she is gone."  
  
Draco snarled and threw another chair. "Dammit. That's 4 Demons in the last week. I want BLOOD!"  
  
"What are your orders my Lord?" asked Gamorr.  
  
Draco began to slowly walk towards Gamorr. "The Guardians and Goddesses on Terra 2 eliminated. They must be gone before we proceed any further in our plans. Do you understand."  
  
"Yes my Lord."  
  
Draco sat down on his throne. "Then be gone. I must think."  
  
Gamorr vanished, leaving Draco to contemplate what his future held.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 


	4. Chapter 3: History Lesson

Chapter 3  
History Lesson  
  
  
Two Days later  
  
Gamorr walked through the caverns towards Draco's throne room. Upon entering, Gamorr fell to his knee and bowed low.  
  
"You sent for me my Lord?"  
  
Draco turned his throne and faced Gamorr. "I have decided how to remove our Goddess problem. Take 4 Demons and go to the far side of Japoness, allow them to detect you, to think that that spot is your base of operations."  
  
"And what shall I do once they are there?" asked Gamorr, "Our Demons are no match for the Goddess or the Guardians."  
  
"You only need to lead them there." Draco replied. He then walked over and removed the cloth from an object. "This will handle them when they arrive."  
  
Gamorr stared at the object and smiled.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Several hours later.   
  
Faust had arrived earlier the previous morning and had been with Lorelei accessing the computers ever since. After the events of 2 days before, Otaru and the girls had stayed at the castle, incase more Sabers arrived.  
  
'Not that we'd do much good.' thought Otaru.  
  
Finally, Otaru and the girls were called into the council room, where the Shogun had once met with the world leaders. Now Lorelei and Faust were going to use it for a different reason, a history lesson. Already sitting at the table were the Saber Dolls and Faust. Otaru and the girls took their seats and looked up to Lorelei.  
  
"Faust and I have gone through the computer database," began Lorelei, "We now have the information on what we face."  
  
Lorelei bent over and grabbed something from under the table. The item she came up with was the helmet, its face shield still shattered on the right side.  
  
"I tested this with every scanner I had." said Lorelei, "All of them said the same thing, the material that makes this helmet does not exist."  
  
Everyone but Faust stared at her in shock. Lorelei continued.  
  
"It is also a very strong material. Nothing has been able to dent it. Not even Baiko and her energy sword could dent it. It is virtually indestructible."  
  
"But what about the shield?" asked Panther, "It was shattered by that ....whatever it was."  
  
"I can't explain it." replied Lorelei, "Neither can I explain this." Lorelei hit a button on the computer before her. A picture appeared on the wall screen. It showed Lorelei and 3 women, 2 brunettes and a red head. The marionettes and Otaru stared in surprise.  
  
"But....That girl." began Otaru, pointing to one of the brunettes, "Other then the hair, that her!"  
  
"Otaru!" Lime stood up and pointed at the other 2 in the picture, "We ran into them!"   
  
Lorelei stared at Lime. "You what?"  
  
"On the way home yesterday, we sort of ran into the red head. She was called Asuka by her," said Lime, pointing to the brunette, "But they looked and acted like marionettes."  
  
"How do you know them?" asked Otaru.  
  
Lorelei glanced at Faust. "Both Faust and I know them. They were on the Mesopotamia. Their names are Sayoko Morisato, Asuka Sohryu, and..."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
300 years ago.  
  
".....Rei Ikari."  
  
Rei glanced up. "Oh, hello Dr. Lorelei. Did you need something?"  
  
Lorelei smiled, "Actually, I wondered if you would like to join me for lunch?"  
  
Rei smiled, "Alright."  
  
*Lorelei* Rei was rather quiet onboard the ship. Other then me, the only other people she really talked to were Sayoko and Asuka. Sayoko was very pleasant. But I never understood why Rei hung around Asuka. Asuka was rather .....harsh. *  
  
"MEIN GOTT!!" shouted Asuka, "YOU CALL THIS FOOD?!?!"  
  
Sayoko rolled her eyes, "Yes, I call it food. So does everyone else here. If you don't like it, you'll just have to wait until we arrive at the planet."  
  
Asuka glared at Sayoko, "I'll eat it, I just don't like it."  
  
"It could be worse," said Rei with a smile, "Misato could have made it."  
  
Asuka seemed to consider that. "Yeah, I guess your right."  
  
Lorelei looked at them confused, "Who is Misato?"  
  
The other three kind of looked at each other a moment before replying.  
  
"She was an old friend of ours." said Rei, "She had a ...unique cooking style."  
  
"Unique is right." replied Asuka, "I don't know how she survived by eating that stuff."  
  
"She couldn't have been that bad." said Lorelei.  
  
Sayoko shook her head, "No, they're right. That woman could burn Jell-O."  
  
Lorelei stared at Sayoko. "You can't be serious."  
  
"Oh I am." replied Sayoko. "If there was some way to screw up an instant meal.....Misato would find it. Of course Asuka isn't much better."  
  
"HEY!"  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"What happened to them?" asked Lime.  
  
Lorelei let out a sigh. "Well I thought they had died onboard Mesopotamia as they weren't on the shuttle with Faust and the others. How they ended up here...." Lorelei shrugged.  
  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"Report."  
  
Rei, Asuka, Sayoko, and Skuld stood before a 3 dimension hologram of Belldandy inside of an old warehouse. Long ago, it was realized that the Goddesses could not keep using phones forever for communication, as the world was changing. So a new device was created. It allowed the users on either end to see a hologram of the person they wished to speak to, at whatever scale they wished, so that while to the 4, the image of Belldandy was full sized, to Belldandy, they were only foot tall holograms on her desk.  
  
"We have detected demon activity outside of Japoness." said Skuld, "From the amount of activity, it could be their base of operations here on Terra 2. We intend to investigate and illuminate it."  
  
"Use caution Skuld," replied Belldandy, "I'm still not able to send you any help at this time. I don't want you doing anything stupid."  
  
"Don't worry." replied Asuka with a big smile, "We can handle anything the Demons threw at us."  
  
Belldandy smiled, "I'm sure you will. Until next time. Take care." The hologram flickered and then vanished. Rei walked over and pocketed the device.  
  
"Alright," began Skuld, "Let's move out."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
"What about those Sabers, and those orbs?" asked Bloodberry.  
  
"That requires a bit of an explanation." said Lorelei as she turned and nodded to Faust.  
  
Faust typed a command into the nearby computer terminal, causing the wall screen to light up and a picture of a city to appear.  
  
"What you see here is a city called Toyko-3. At one time, it was to be the capital of Japan on earth. Within a year, this city was all but gone."  
  
"What happened?" asked Otaru.  
  
Faust hit a button. On the screen, an enormous creature appeared. The most notable feature was a red orb glowing on its chest.  
  
"This is an Angel." began Faust, "According to the data files, around 500 years ago, these creatures attacked earth with the intent of wiping out all of humanity. They were very powerful and resistant to most forms of attack."  
  
The screen showed strange flying vehicle shooting at the angel. A hexagonal shield appeared, blocking the shots. It then sent forth a burst of energy, creating a cross shaped explosion that wiped out many of the flying vehicles.  
  
"They seemed to have gotten their energy from that orb, known as an S2 Engine. These 'engine' gave the Angels the ability to regenerate wounds and form a barrier known as an AT-Field."  
  
"Like those Sabers." said Cherry quietly, "But how did they get them?"  
  
"And how did they defeat the Angels back then?" asked Otaru.  
  
Faust hit another button. An armored purple and green figure appeared on the screen. "Mankind built replicas of the Angels, called Evangelions, to defeat them. Eventually, 14 Evangelions were built, however, history becomes sketchy at this point. We know that the Angels were defeated. The fate of the Evas is a mystery."  
  
"Could we build Evangelions?" asked Tiger.  
  
Faust shook his head, "No. The technology that created the Evangelions was lost, much like the technology that created the Maiden Circuit. Even if we could, we have no use for a 400 foot tall creation, nor do we have time to train pilots..."  
  
"PILOTS?" shouted Otaru, "They put people in those things?!"  
  
"Yes." said Faust, "14 year old children to be exact." Faust turned and looked at Lorelei.  
  
"I found some pictures of those pilots...." Faust said, "This gets stranger." Faust leaned forward and pressed a button on the computer. A picture appeared on the screen that caused everyone to gasp in surprise. "The first pilot was known as the First Child, her name was Rei Ayanami, later, her name changed to Rei Ikari."  
  
"An ancestor?" asked Lorelei, "To the Rei we knew?"  
  
"I do not know. It gets stranger still." Faust pressed another button. "The Second Child, Asuka Langley Sohryu, later also changed to Ikari due to marriage." Then the Third Child, Shinji Ikari, the Fourth Child, Touji Suzuhara, and finally, the Fifth Child, Sayoko Morisato."  
  
Lorelei stared in shock, as did everyone else at the table. "But...They can't be the same people. They have to have been descendants."  
  
"As I said, I do not know." replied Faust, "The computer can only tell us so much. There is much that we don't know."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Rei and Sayoko walked quietly through the caverns. The cave was pitch black, but having divine powers does have its advantages. Even though they moved in darkness, Rei and Sayoko could still see as if the cave was brightly lit. As they moved deeper in, they could feel the presence of Demons. But they also felt another feeling.....  
  
"I don't like this.." muttered Sayoko.  
  
"I agree." said Rei, "There is something very wrong here."  
  
Both continued onward, but very cautiously.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"So how do we defeat the Sabers?" asked Otaru.  
  
"You have to destroy the S2 Engine." replied Lorelei, "If the engine goes, so does the Saber. That is why those Sabers have exploded so violently, it's the S2 Engine detonating."  
  
"How can we hit the Engine though?" asked Luchs, "These last ones had shields."  
  
"AT-Field actually." stated Faust. "We have found a few files that told of the weapons used against the Angels. It might be possible to create at least a few of these weapons using our technology, but there are some......problems with this."  
  
"Like what?" asked Tiger.  
  
"In order to use them, you'll have to fight hand to hand combat." replied Faust.  
  
"Hand to hand!?" Bloodberry stood up, "You can't be serious! We couldn't fight them before, how are we supposed to fight them now!?"  
  
"There is another possibility." said Lorelei very quietly, "They used something they called a positron cannon."  
  
Faust looked at her surprised. "You can't mean..."  
  
Lorelei nodded. Everyone else just stared at them.  
  
"What's the big deal?" asked Otaru.  
  
"The positron cannon fired a form of plasma at the Angels." said Faust, still looking at Lorelei. "On Terra 2, there is only one thing currently available that can fire plasma."  
  
That got everyone's attention, as they knew exactly who Faust was talking about. Well, almost everyone knew.  
  
"Who's that?" asked Lime.  
  
"Lime," said Cherry, "Lorelei is talking about Marine. She wants to reactivate Marine to fight the Sabers."  
  
Lime turned back and looked at Lorelei. "But....the plasma is what....won't she.....How do you know it won't happen again?"  
  
Lorelei sighed, "Marine was deactivated as the result of the way her maiden circuit was designed, as well as a result of the plasma damage." Lime looked at Lime, "Reactivating Marine to fight the Sabers is the last thing on my mind. If we run out of options.....its something we'll have to consider."  
  
Lime stared at Lorelei for a long time. The look on her face was anything but pleasant.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Asuka and Skuld stood in front of a massive ornate door.  
  
"What do you think?" asked Asuka.  
  
"Demon markings.." said Skuld as she studied the door. She then placed her ear up against the door. "I don't hear anything on the other side." Skuld looked at Asuka. "Its probably safe to go through."  
  
"Probably?"  
  
Skuld ignored the comment. She pulled out a small mirror.  
  
* Sayoko, Rei. We've found a door. Get over here. *  
  
The mirror in Skuld's hand began to glow. Within second's Sayoko appeared before them with a tight grip on Rei's shoulder. Sayoko stepped forward and looked at the door. She then looked back at her Aunt.  
  
"You think we should knock or something?"  
  
Skuld just stared at Sayoko. "Funny. Very funny." She then looked back at Asuka. "Would you?"  
  
Asuka smiled. She brought her hands up, a massive force bolt appearing within them. "With pleasure." She sent the force bolt towards the door.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Since Faust's arrival and the reactivation of the Imperial Guard, it was decided that Otaru and the girls could go home. The walk back to the apartment was very quiet. Lime had refused to say anything to anyone since she heard about Marine's possible reactivation. In some ways, Otaru could understand what she was feeling. 2 Months ago, Otaru had violently protested to Marine being used to stop the Plasma Storms that threatened all of Terra 2. He had hated it because he had thought that Faust was thinking of Marine as a machine, and not as the person she had become. Now it seemed that Marine was once again being thought of as a machine, but this time as the weapon she was originally designed to be. Lorelei had said she considered Marine a last resort, but that still hadn't made Lime feel any better. Otaru moved along side Lime.  
  
"Lime?" he said quietly. Lime didn't even look at him. "Lime, I'm here if you need to talk." Lime continued to ignore him. Otaru turned to look at Cherry and Bloodberry. Both shrugged, unable to think of anything to help.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Rei followed the others into the chamber that lay beyond the door. The chamber was large, the roof showing signs of roots pressing their way through. In the center was a large throne, its back towards them.  
  
"Hello ladies," came a voice from the chair, "I have been expecting you."  
  
Skuld turned and looked at the others before cautiously approaching the chair, Asuka and Sayoko not that far behind.   
  
"I must say, you 4 have been quite a nuisance to me, but I suppose that will all end now."  
  
Skuld finally reached the throne. She grabbed it with her hand and spun it to face them. Instead of a person, a large drum like object sat in the throne, on top was a tape player.  
  
"Unfortunately, I won't be there to see your faces....I imagine you'll be very surprised in 5, 4..."  
  
Asuka's eyes went wide as she realized what the drum was. "IT'S A N2 MINE!!"  
  
"2, 1."  
  
The whole world went white.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Otaru and the girls were 3 blocks from their apartment when a brilliant flash lit the sky. A loud blast thundered across the city, followed quickly by a concussion wave that sent Otaru and the girls to the ground. Otaru looked up to see a massive fireball rolling upwards into the sky.  
  
"What the hell was that!?" shouted Otaru.  
  
Cherry's eyes glowed as she scanned the cloud before. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw something tumbling towards the ground.  
  
"Master! We must go there!"  
  
Otaru was about to ask why, but Cherry was already running towards the blast. He turned to Lime and Bloodberry.  
  
"Come on. We should go with her."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: 2 Chapters this update, basically it means that I'm not studying as much as I should be. Anyway, like I said in a previous chapter, I'm working on this fic, and 2 others.  
  
So...just to wet your appetite, here is a small section from the as yet unnamed story, which takes place between Chapters 17 and 18 of Neon Genesis: Goddess.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
The next morning went on unlike most mornings. Rei quickly went though her breakfast and then left early to meet the principal. Asuka and Shinji were on their way a little after. As they walked, they met up with Touji, Hikari, and Kensuke. They passed on the info about the new student.  
  
"Oh I hope it is a girl, then Asuka, Rei and I will have another person to talk to." said Hikari.  
  
"I hope it's a girl too." said Kensuke. "We need someone else to hook Shinji up with besides the Demon."  
  
Kensuke found himself staring towards the sky. Both of his cheeks were in pain, as was his nose. He looked over to see Shinji shaking out his fist, as well as Asuka and Hikari rubbing their hands.  
  
"Stooge." muttered Asuka as she and Hikari walked off. Shinji glared at Kensuke for a bit longer before following. Kensuke glanced over at Touji who was trying hard not to laugh.  
  
"A little help please?" asked Kensuke.  
  
Touji grabbed Kensuke and helped him to his feet. "You realize you deserved every bit of that. I thought you had learned enough to never, ever call Asuka a demon in front of her, Shinji, Hikari, or even Rei."  
  
"So it slipped." Kensuke sighed. "At least Sayoko wasn't here. The last time I slipped up when she was around, she zapped me good."  
  
"Yeah, I remember that." Touji began to walk towards school. "Your pants caught fire and I put you out."  
  
"You tossed me into a fountain."  
  
Touji shrugged, "Hey the fire still went out."  
  
At the entrance to the school grounds, Asuka was once again greeted to the sound of cat calls by most of the males present. Shinji glared at several of them as he walked next to Asuka into the building.  
  
"I really hate that you know." He said to her.  
  
"They are just jealous that you have me, the most beautiful girl in all of Tokyo-2" replied Asuka. "Just like the girls are jealous that I have you."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Asuka turned and looked at Shinji, "Everytime I enter the Girl's locker room for gym it's always Shinji this and Shinji that." Asuka walked up to her locker and began to open the combination lock. "I understand how annoyed you are, but you have to ignore it." Asuka pulled the lock off and opened her locker. A pile of letters fell out from it onto the floor. Shinji looked down at the letters.  
  
"Still think I should ignore it?" asked Shinji quietly.  
  
"Yes." With that, Asuka stomped her foot on the letters and ground them under her heel. "You're the only one I think about and that's that."  
  
From inside another locker, a pair of red eyes watched everything. Then with a cackle, they vanished.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
The principal sat behind his desk staring at the new student. The student shifted nervously under his gaze. He smiled inwardly.  
  
'The more uncomfortable the student is being in my presence, the less trouble they will make. Now If only Miss Ikari would grace us with her presence.'  
  
The intercom on his desk beeped. "Rei Ikari to see you sir."  
  
The Principal noticed while he stood up that the new student had reacted to the name. He opened his door and looked out. Rei was sitting in a waiting room chair. "Miss Ikari. You are bit late. What kind of an example are you trying to set for our new student."  
  
"Sorry sir I came as quickly as I could." Rei quickly stood and bowed.  
  
"Very well, if you would be so kind as to join us." Rei quickly entered the office and soon found herself face to face with the new student.  
  
"Rei Ikari, I would like you to meet Miss....." That was as far as he got before the sound of two girls letting out screams of joy filled his office. The principal let out a sigh as he sat back down at his desk.  
  
'Since when did this become a form of communication' he thought quietly as he reached for his aspirin bottle.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
The others were already seated and waiting for class to start when Rei entered. Shinji was surprised by the size of the grin on Rei's face. He leaned over to Asuka.  
  
"Why do you think she's that happy?"  
  
Asuka shrugged, "Maybe it IS a cute guy."  
  
"Can I have your attention please?" called out Rei. "We have a new student in our class, so I expect you all to make her feel welcome." She then turned and motioned to someone outside the door. As the new student entered, all the males in the class let out a gasp. Shinji, Asuka, Hikari, and Touji all had surprised looks on their faces. Kensuke was so surprised that he fell out of his seat. The new student smiled and then spoke.  
  
"Hello, I am Sayoko Morisato, and I'm looking forward to meeting you all." She then looked at Rei, who pointed to an empty seat that was to the left of Rei's seat, which was just in front of Shinji. Sayoko walked over and sat down in her chair. Within seconds, she found herself wrapped up in a hug from Hikari and Asuka. When they released her, she was hit by a barrage of questions from all around.  
  
"Wherewereyouallsummer?Didyoufinishyourtraining?Whydidn'tyoucall?" Sayoko finally raised her hands to get them to stop talking.  
  
"I talk all about it during lunch, ok?"  
  
"Why lunch?" asked Hikari.  
  
Sayoko motioned to the rest of the class, "Less ears", she said quietly. "By the way, since I've missed the first couple of weeks of school, what has the teacher covered?"  
  
The others just grinned. "Believe me when I say you'll catch up quickly." said Asuka.  
  
The teacher walked in 2 minutes later. 5 minutes after that, Sayoko understood why they had been grinning.  
  
'I went through Third Impact and a summer of goddess training......just to come back here to listen to him drone on about Second Impact?' Sayoko drove her head into the desktop with a thud. 'I must be being punished for something.' The sound of a giggle caused her to glance over to her right. Rei was trying hard to cover up her face, but her shaking gave her away. Sayoko narrowed her eyes and then sent Rei a message.  
  
Morisato Something funny Rei?  
  
Ikari R. yes, the look on your face when he started talking. That was classic.  
  
Sayoko frowned.  
Morisato Thank you so much.  
  
Ikari R. Do not be mad Sayoko, I am just having fun with you. After all, I still owe you for all those mornings you woke me up to 'Angel Attack'.  
  
Sayoko sighed.  
Morisato I'm sorry Rei, I've just had a long summer.  
  
Ikari R. That is ok. It is great to have you back Sayoko.  
  
Sayoko gave Rei a smile.  
It's good to be back.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 


	5. Chapter 4: Search and Recovery

Chapter 4  
  
Search and Recovery  
  
  
  
Otaru and the girls ran towards the location of the explosion. The fireball had long since dissipated, but a large plume of smoke marked the spot. As they got closer to the blast, they saw just how devastating the blast had been. Buildings, houses, and shops had windows shattered. Taller buildings were missing their upper floors and roofs, which now littered the street. Finally, they reached the city's walls. Several sections of the wall had been knocked over from the explosion. Cherry and Lime quickly leaped over the fallen wall, Bloodberry stayed back to help Otaru over. Lime and Cherry reached the blast area minutes later. At the center of the blast was a large crater. The ground around the crater was scorched and littered with rocks that had been blasted from the earth. Cherry began to slowly scan the area. Lime walked up and looked down into the crater.  
  
"I don't know what you expect to find out here." She said to Cherry.  
  
Cherry ignored her, continuing to scan, until she spotted something. Cherry began to hurry towards the spot.  
  
"Not find," she called back to Lime, "Found."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Bright white light. Followed by the sense of flying. That was the last thing she remembered. She felt a weight on her back, and some of her robes had ended up covering her face. She also found she was unable to move her legs. She slowly moved the object that was on top of her off and moved the robe. She was momentarily blinded as her eyes got used to the light. Wait. Light? She had been underground. How did she get up here? She slowly raised her head. Ow. Bad idea. She slowly lowered her head back down. She tried to concentrate her powers to heal herself, but she didn't have the power to. She then tried to telepathically contact the others, but found she was unable to. Her vision began to fade. Not good she thought. A crunching noise alerted her to the fact that someone was approaching. She slowly raised her head again, despite the pain. Two figures were moving towards her, both were marionettes. One was in a pink outfit and had purple hair. The other had dark blue hair, and a white outfit over a black jumpsuit. Both made eye contact with her. Her vision suddenly went blurry, and within seconds, darkness claimed her.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Otaru and Bloodberry finally arrived on the scene of the blast. Otaru couldn't find and words to describe what he was seeing. So Bloodberry did.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Master Otaru! Over here!"  
  
Otaru and Bloodberry turned to see Cherry waving to them over to her location. Lime was with her, but was kneeling on the ground looking at something. Otaru and Bloodberry ran to them. Upon arriving, Otaru saw what it was Cherry and Lime were looking over.  
  
"Is she alive?" he asked.  
  
Cherry nodded, "She was awake when we got here, but has since lost consciousness. Master we should take her to the apartment quickly."  
  
"Why not the castle?"  
  
"She may not make it that far." replied Cherry, "Our apartment is closer, and fewer people will see her along the way."  
  
While Otaru and Cherry had been talking, Lime and Bloodberry slowly dug out the partially buried girl. Finally, Otaru gave in.  
  
"Alright, We'll bring her to the apartment." He then turned to Lime. "Run to the castle and tell Faust and Lorelei."  
  
"Right!" Lime quickly raced off.  
  
"Thank-you Master." replied Cherry.  
  
Otaru looked down at the girl. "I'm not going to be able to carry her to the apartment very quickly." He looked up at Bloodberry. Bloodberry nodded.  
  
"I can do it." She started to pick up the girl.  
  
"Careful Bloodberry," said Otaru, "We don't know how badly injured she is."  
  
Bloodberry shifted the girl in her arms. "I got her. Don't worry."  
  
The three immediately headed for home.  
  
Meanwhile, on the floor of the crater, several rocks began to shake. Finally, they moved off to the side, revealing a hand pushing its way upwards. The hand was followed by an arm, and then a head burst through.  
  
'cough cough.' "Ugh....." the girl muttered, "Now I know how Shinji felt his first day in Tokyo-3."  
  
The girl continued to pull herself out, being especially careful with her left arm and leg. She slowly scanned the crater. Finding nothing of interest, she then turned to focus on herself. She was covered in dirt and dust. She tried to heal herself, but also found she did not have the power to do so. She then also tried to telepathically contact her friends, but with no success. However, she had one thing going for her. She was no longer buried. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a round object. She looked the device over. Seeing no damage, she let out a sigh.  
  
"Thank Goddess Auntie builds them well."  
  
She jabbed her finger on a button, a red light immediately began to flash.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Yggdrasil  
  
  
Urd sat quietly in the SysOp chair. Below her, gods and goddesses moved about, tending to the day to day operations and maintenance of the world computer, Yggdrasil. This had become more important of late, as mortals had moved off planet and gone into the stars. Several planets now fell under Yggdrasil control. And other then the severe Plasma Storms that had threatened Terra 2, everything was going smoothly. Urd looked at her terminal.  
  
'Another 10 minutes, and I get off duty.' She thought. A slow smile crept across her face. 'Then I get to challenge Misato to another drinking contest.'  
  
Any further thoughts went away as her terminal cleared its screen and began to flash red. A phrase appeared on the screen, also blinking. Urd stared at the words in shock before her hand slapped on the alarm switch.  
  
"Alert!" Urd's voice boomed throughout the building, "We have a Broken Wing. Repeat, We have a Broken Wing." All around there was a flurry of activity as deities scrambled to their stations. Urd turned and looked at Chronos.  
  
"Confirm that Broken Wing message, its location, and who."  
  
Chronos quickly looked over her terminal. "Broken Wing confirmed. Location Terra 2." Her eyes widened. "Message initialized by Goddess 1st Class Sayoko."  
  
"SAYOKO?" a feeling of dread came over Urd. 'Oh hell.' Urd quickly reached for the nearby phone. She lifted it to her ear, quickly enYuing a number. "Commander Mist. We have a Broken Wing on Terra 2. Proceed immediately."  
  
"Acknowledged." came the reply.  
  
Urd then hung up. She sat, staring at the phone, dreading the call she now had to make.  
  
'I can't put it off' she thought. She picked the phone back up and dialed yet another number.  
  
"Bell, its Urd. You'd better sit down......"  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Sayoko sat patiently waiting near the hole she had dug herself out of. The transmitter continued to send her distress call.  
  
"Come on." she muttered, "Where are you?"  
  
"You rang?"  
  
Sayoko jumped, the movement causing her a lot of pain. Clenching her teeth, she turned to see Commander Mist and 15 Valkyries.  
  
"Took you long enough...." muttered Sayoko, her voice betraying the pain she was in. Mist was immediately at her side. Mist ran a hand over Sayoko.  
  
"You have a broken arm and your leg is broken in 4 spots." Mist looked up at Sayoko. "You want to tell me what happened?"  
  
"We were exploring a cave." replied Sayoko.  
  
Mist looked around. "A cave? Then what are you doing in this crater?"  
  
Sayoko let out a sigh, "Someone decided to redecorate using an N2 mine, while Rei, Asuka, Auntie Skuld and I were in it."  
  
Mist stared at Sayoko. "You mean the others are....?"  
  
Sayoko nodded, "Somewhere around here, probably buried."  
  
Mist quickly turned and shouted orders to the Valkyries. The Valkyries immediately spread out and began to search, 2 remained near Mist. Mist nodded to them, and they carefully lifted Sayoko onto a stretcher they created.  
  
"Hey!" shouted Sayoko, "What do you think your doing?!"  
  
"Your going back to Yggdrasil." replied Mist. "We'll handle it from here."  
  
"I'm not leaving until you find the others!"  
  
Mist gave Sayoko a slightly irritated look. "You know, you look tired."  
  
"WHAT?!?! I'm not..." Mist waved her hand over Sayoko's head. Sayoko dropped to the stretcher, fast asleep.  
  
Mist let out a loud sigh. "Now, then...." She then nodded to the Valkyries, who quickly vanished. Mist then turned and watched as the others continued their search of the crater.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Gamorr bowed low before the throne, "It has gone as you had planned my Lord. The mine exploded and caught the 4 Goddesses in its wake."  
  
Draco smiled, "Excellent."  
  
"Do we move against the clones now, my Lord?"  
  
"No." replied Draco, "Consider this. We have just detonated a large explosive device that hopefully killed or severely injured the Goddesses. The heavens will be alert now. We must wait for a few days, let them expend resources trying to find us. I will send for you when it is time."  
  
"Yes my Lord."  
  
Draco slowly turned his throne away from Gamorr, "Now leave me."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
2 Days later.  
  
  
Belldandy walked slowly through the streets of heaven, deep in thought. The last several days had been very difficult for her. First of all, her daughter and her sister had been injured in an explosion. Sayoko was recovering, but was very anxious to get up and back to work. It had taken both Belldandy and Keiichi, with the help of Megumi, Urd and some rope, to get her to stay put. Skuld was a different story. She had been right next to the device when it went off. Although alive, her status was shaky at best.  
  
The other thing on her mind was what occurred at the council meeting. As a result of that meeting, she was now on her way to talk to someone concerning the other two involved. She was not looking forward to it. Belldandy pulled herself from her thoughts to concentrate on where she was. She quickly spotted her destination, a fairly large house located just inside the Norse section of heaven. Belldandy smiled as she remembered why they had chosen this spot. She walked up to the door and knocked. The door creaked open and a girl of about 12 peeked out. She had blue eyes and red hair, just like her mother. Belldandy smiled at the younger version of Asuka.  
  
"Yui, can I come in? I need to speak with your parents."  
  
"Of course Auntie Belldandy." Yui replied with a smile, "You know you're always welcome."  
  
Belldandy smiled as she walked into the house. Ever since she was able to speak, Yui had referred to Belldandy and her sisters, even Sayoko , as 'Auntie', even though they were not related. Of course Yui also referred to Misato and Rei as Auntie, but that was to be expected for Misato was like an older sister to the former pilots and Rei basically was Shinji's sister. Belldandy followed Yui into the living room.  
  
"Wait here, I'll go get them." said Yui before disappearing up some stairs.  
  
While Belldandy waited, she looked around the living room. On a shelf were pictures from the past. One showed Asuka, Shinji, Rei, Touji, Hikari, Kensuke, and Sayoko when they were still in high school. Another was from a bit further back, and showed the 5 children in their Plug Suits. In front of this picture were two red plastic pieces. Belldandy realized that they were Asuka's old neural interfaces. Also on the shelf, leaning against the back was a hand written sign, which stated simply, 'Shinji's Lovely suite'. The sound of footsteps caused her to turn around. Shinji was coming down the stairs, carrying an injured Asuka. He very carefully set Asuka down on the couch. Belldandy and Asuka's eyes met. Asuka gave a small smile and nodded to her 'boss'. Asuka had been just as close to the blast as Skuld, however, because she recognized the device quicker then the others, she had been able to get a full shield up, while the others could only manage a partial. Still, the shield could only do so much. While it had blocked out the worst of the blast, the shield used a lot of energy to do so. Thus when the caves collapsed, the shields had failed entirely. Asuka had under gone several healing spells, and would be under going several more.  
  
After making sure that Asuka was comfortable, Shinji turned and looked at Belldandy.  
  
"Alright, you said we needed to talk."  
  
Belldandy was about to speak, when she spotted movement on the stairs. She looked over to see Yui listening in. Noticing, Shinji turned and spoke to his daughter.  
  
"Yui, why don't you go visit Auntie Misato and Uncle Kaji."  
  
"Awwww." A disappointed Yui muttered as she left the house.  
  
Now assured of privacy, Belldandy turned to Shinji and Asuka.  
  
"There have been some developments regarding Terra 2." began Belldandy.  
  
"They found Rei?" asked Shinji.  
  
Belldandy looked down at the ground, "No. There is no sign at all of Rei. They searched based on what Asuka and Sayoko saw, but they haven't found any sign of her."  
  
"Maybe they should expand the search area." stated Shinji.  
  
Belldandy finally looked Shinji in the eye. "We have been ordered off Terra 2."  
  
Asuka closed her eyes while Shinji stared at Belldandy in shock. "WHAT?!"  
  
"By order of the Council," said Belldandy, quietly, "Terra 2 is now off limits to all deities."  
  
"What about Rei? Are they giving up!?" Shinji was furious. "We're abandoning them both!?"  
  
"No, the Terra 2 office remains," replied Belldandy, "But the council wants to study the situation in more detail."  
  
"By the time they're done 'studying the situation'," Shinji said, "the demons will be in control."  
  
"I'm sorry Shinji, I tried. But I was out voted."  
  
Shinji looked down at Asuka. She appeared to be asleep. "How's Skuld and Sayoko?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Skuld is still unconscious. They still don't know if she'll recover. Sayoko is another story." A smile slowly creep onto her face. "She keeps trying to get up and out of bed, against the healers orders. Keiichi and I had to practically tie her down to keep her in place. I do believe however, Asuka is beginning to rub off on her a lot more." Belldandy noticed that Asuka had opened her eyes and was looking at her questioningly. "She's cursing."  
  
Shinji shrugged, "Sayoko's cursed before. That's nothing new."  
  
Belldandy looked directly into Asuka's eyes, "She's cursing in German."  
  
Asuka began to turn a deep red. A large smile appeared on Shinji's face as he turned and looked at Asuka. "I see."  
  
Belldandy then got up.  
  
"I have to get back to the office." Belldandy headed towards the door. Before she left she turned and looked at Shinji. "Don't worry. I haven't given up on Rei yet. We will find her."  
  
Shinji looked back at her. "I'm going to hold you to that."  
  
Shinji watched Belldandy head down the street a bit before he closed the door. He then walked back and sat down next to Asuka, letting out a loud sigh.  
  
* Don't worry. Belldandy always keeps her promises. *  
  
Shinji glanced over at Asuka. "I know that. But there are some things that are beyond her control."  
  
Asuka frowned at him. * Baka. Rei is a survivor. If anyone could survive that blast, it would be Rei. Besides, she wasn't even that close. *  
  
"I suppose your right."  
  
* I'm always right. *  
  
Shinji reached over and put his arm around Asuka, pulling her closer to him. "How long till your able to speak again?"  
  
* Another 3 days. Why? *  
  
"I miss your voice. It's too quiet around here."  
  
Asuka smiled and leaned on Shinji's shoulder, closing her eyes. * Baka. *  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Terra 2  
  
"Sir. I have gotten the information you requested."  
  
"Excellent. You have done well. There were no problems I assume?"  
  
"No problems. Their residence is well known to all who live in Japoness."  
  
"We move tonight. Soon, the enemies of Gartlant will die, and with their sacrifice, a new order will arise."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Ever since Belldandy had left the house, she had been in deep thought on how she could fulfill her promise to Shinji.  
  
'I can't send anyone to Terra 2, not god, nor guardian. And I can't send any mortals, that would break all the rules. Who can I.....' Belldandy stopped dead in her tracks. A smile appeared on her face as the answer came to her. She began to run towards the building.  
  
* Urd!! *  
  
*OW! Dammit Bell! Don't yell! * came Urd's reply, * What is it? *  
  
* Meet me in my office. * sent Belldandy, * I just figured out how we can find Rei AND save Lorelei. *  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Terra 2  
  
Later that evening,  
  
  
Lorelei knelt next to the unconscious figure. "She's still out?"  
  
Cherry nodded, "She was awake when we found her, but since then....."  
  
Lorelei nodded, "But her condition has improved?"  
  
"Yes. Its very strange." replied Cherry, "When we brought her in, both her legs were broken and she had other sever injuries. Yet, yesterday when I scanned her, her legs had healed and her injuries were not as life threatening. I'm at a loss to explain it."  
  
Lorelei listened as she looked at the girl before her. Other then the blue hair and the red eyes, she looked exactly as she did back on the Mesopotamia. "Don't worry about understanding it Cherry. According to the fingerprints you gave me, she was on Mesopotamia and is approx 324 years old, give or take a few years."  
  
Lorelei stood up and left the room, Cherry following. Both walked downstairs and entered the restaurant area, closed for now. Waiting there were Bloodberry, Lime, Otaru, Tiger, and Panther.  
  
"How is she?" asked Panther.  
  
"Still out, but better then she was." replied Lorelei.  
  
Otaru looked up, "Have you figured out yet what that was in her pocket?"  
  
"Faust and Luchs are still examining it." said Lorelei, "But it looks something like a communicator."  
  
"To her friends?"  
  
Lorelei nodded, "But in its current condition, we won't be sending them any messages anytime soon."  
  
Bloodberry shrugged, "We found it as is. It must have been damaged when she was injured."  
  
Tiger glanced at the clock on the wall, then turned to Lorelei. "We have to go back now. Baiko and Tamasaburo don't like it when your out of their sight for too long."  
  
Lorelei let out a sigh. "I'm beginning to really hate that castle. It's all I ever see." She turned and looked back at Otaru. "You and the girls keep and eye on her, and be careful. There's no telling who she's working for or what she'll do when she wakes up."  
  
Otaru smiled, "Of course we'll be careful."  
  
Lorelei got up and headed towards the entrance, Tiger and Panther right behind her. "Later girls!"  
  
"Bye Lorelei!" replied Cherry, Lime, and Bloodberry.  
  
Lorelei turned and opened the door, but was unable to step out. A figure in uniform stood in her way. "Well well. It appears we won't even have to knock."  
  
Tiger grabbed Lorelei and moved her away from the man. "Who are you?"  
  
The man smiled, "So you don't recognize me hmm? I must have been right about you Saber Dolls, you're all defective equipment.  
  
Tiger and Panther's eyes narrowed with recognition.   
  
"General Prien." said Panther, her voice dripping with hate, "Why are you here?"  
  
"I am here to complete the job that you could not," replied Prien "The defeat of Maimya and his Marionettes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because with them gone, nothing will stand in the way of a new and powerful Gartlant."  
  
"Gartlant is dead and gone." said Tiger, "Nothing you do will b ring it back."  
  
"Well we'll just see won't we." replied Prien with an evil smile. "GET THEM!"  
  
Prien moved out of the way and in his place stood 12 Gartlant Sabers. Shoulder compartments opened and gun barrels extended. The Sabers immediately opened fire. Otaru was pulled out of the way by Lime and Cherry, Lorelei by Tiger and Panther, Bloodberry dove for the floor. Bullets riddled the wall of the restaurant. Lorelei and Otaru scrambled into the living room area, the marionettes right behind them.  
  
"What are we going to do?" asked Lorelei over the roar of gunfire.  
  
"Get out of here for starters" replied Bloodberry. "Lime, Cherry, Tiger, Panther and I will handle them. You two get out of here."  
  
"What about..?" asked Lorelei, pointing upwards in reference to the girl who still lay unconscious upstairs.  
  
"They don't know she's here, and they don't want her." replied Tiger. "They want you. Now get her out of here Otaru!"  
  
Otaru grabbed Lorelei's hand and pulled her towards the back room, just as the Gartlant Sabers entered. Both fell to the floor as bullets ripped through the wall next to them, just above their heads.  
  
"Remember when I said I hated the castle?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"Yeah?" replied Otaru.  
  
"I just changed my mind. At least those walls stop bullets." She then looked around the room. "Why did you take me in here?! There's no exit!"  
  
Otaru ran to the wall and kicked it, creating a hole. "Your exit Milady." Both leaped through the hole into the next apartment, which belonged to......  
  
"OTARU-KUN!!!" shouted Hanagata, "This is so unexpected!" he then noticed Lorelei. "AHHH!! Why did you bring her?!"  
  
Otaru was about to reply when the sound of gunfire reached them. Lorelei and Otaru dove to the floor. Hanagata followed as the bullets shot over their heads.  
  
"Otaru! What have you done now!!" shouted Hanagata.  
  
"Don't ask!" replied Otaru, "We have to get away from here!"  
  
"This way!" shouted Hanagata as he ran from the room. Lorelei and Otaru followed him to a back door. "I had this put in case your Marionettes ever went crazy." He opened the door and ran through it, colliding into the figures that stood there. Lorelei and Otaru stared at the Gartlant Sabers as they leveled their guns at them.  
  
"You will surrender." one said. It was not a request.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Lime, Cherry, Bloodberry, Tiger, and Panther stood before a pile of Marionettes.  
  
"This is more like it." said Tiger, "Standard, Non-regenerating Sabers."  
  
"3 left." stated Panther as she tossed another onto the growing pile.  
  
"3!?" shouted Cherry, "But there were 12!"  
  
Tiger looked around as she eliminated the 8th Saber. "Where did they go?!"  
  
"I can answer that." The marionettes turned to see Prien, standing next to the missing marionettes. In front of the marionettes, their guns targeted and locked, were Lorelei, Otaru, and Hanagata. "I suggest you surrender now, or these 3 will suffer."  
  
"Damn." muttered Bloodberry. Cherry and Lime glared at Prien. The two surviving Sabers walked over and stood just off the side of Prien.  
  
"All of you," ordered Prien, "Line up over there." He pointed towards the fence. The 5 marionettes complied. The two Sabers not targeting the humans, line up their sights on the marionettes. Prien looked over at Otaru.  
  
"I hope you have nothing important to say to them," he said with a smile "Because they are about to become scrap!" Prien turned to the Sabers. "FIRE!"  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!" shouted Otaru, as the Gartlant Sabers opened up on the marionettes. Lorelei closed her eyes, unable to watch. Even Hanagata looked away. The view of the marionettes was clouded from smoke and dust as the Sabers continued to fire. Prien finally ordered the Sabers to cease fire.  
  
"That should be enough." He said. "Anything that is left can be dealt with by hand."  
  
"You basterd." muttered Otaru quietly. Lorelei was on her knees, sobbing quietly.  
  
"This is war." replied Prien. "In a war, there are casualties."  
  
"Sir." Prien looked up at the Saber that spoke. "The targets remain."  
  
"WHAT!?!" The 4 humans looked over at the wall. The smoke had cleared enough to show the 5 Sabers still standing. All were wide eyed and appeared to been in shock that they were still standing.  
  
"How!?!" shouted Prien.  
  
"I believe I can answer that."  
  
Everyone turned and looked towards the balcony where the voice came from. Standing there looking down at the scene before her was the girl, her blue hair moving in the slight breeze.  
  
"You just made a mistake." she said, "A very serious mistake." Her eyes began to glow red. "And you will be punished severely."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 


	6. Chapter 5: Rei Strikes

Chapter 5  
Rei Strikes  
  
  
Thump.  
  
"Bio-contamination has increased!"  
  
"REI! What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"I will not.....let Sayoko............. be harmed."  
  
'What is this? A memory?'  
  
Thump.  
  
"Rei eject! Get out of there!!"  
  
"If I abandon............... the Eva, the AT-Field will collapse."  
  
"NO REI DON'T!!!!!!"  
  
Rei sat back in the pilot's seat. As Eva's core began to emit a high pitch whine, Rei felt something travel down her cheek. A tear dropped into her hands.  
  
"Is this a tear? Am I crying?" Rei looked up at the monitor. A figure appeared in it. Rei's eyes widened as she realized who it was. The figure smiled at Rei then extended a hand towards her. Rei grabbed the hand and was pulled through the screen. Seconds later, she lay on the grass of a hillside. She looked up to see 2 people standing over her. She was about to speak when the sound of a massive explosion ripped across the sky. A enormous plume of smoke and flame could be seen coming over the hilltops.  
  
'But this happened 500 years ago.'  
  
"Well Rei," said Skuld. "It looks like Urd got to you in time."  
  
Rei stared at the two goddesses. "Why would you do this?"  
  
"For Sayoko." replied Urd, "She considers you a friend. It would hurt her if you were to die."  
  
"But....I can be replaced.."  
  
"No," replied Skuld, "I have read about you. Yes, another Rei would be...awakened. But your current memories, your thoughts, everything that you have become now, that what makes you you...will be lost forever."  
  
Rei thought about that. "I....I am not...." Rei took a deep breath. "...I do not want to be replaced."  
  
'Why am I seeing this again?'  
  
"Very well. Now I have to take you back." Skuld turned and placed her hand in a nearby puddle. "Your entry plug seems to have survived, somewhat. I'll return you there, otherwise, they will activate a new 'Rei'."  
  
Thump  
  
Thump.  
  
Consciousness returned slowly to Rei. 'I hate being unconscious.....memories always come back to me while I'm knocked out.'  
  
Thump.  
  
'Sounds like my old apartment.' Rei slowly opened her eyes. Taking in the rafters above her head, a thought ran through her mind, one that was usually uttered by her brother. 'An unfamiliar ceiling...' Rei then frowned, '..great...now he has me saying it.'  
  
Thump.  
  
'What is that?' Rei slowly stood up. While she was not fully healed or recharged, she was determined to get to the bottom of the noise. She opened a door and step onto the balcony. Below her, marionettes were engaged in a fight. One of the Marionettes tossed a sparking Saber against a wall.  
  
Thump.  
  
Rei watched another Saber get destroyed before she heard a new voice.  
  
"All of you, line up over there."  
  
She turned to see a man in uniform with a couple of Sabers holding weapons on...... Rei gripped the railing tightly. Lorelei and Otaru!!  
  
'Dammit!' thought Rei. She began to concentrate, building up her energy. She watched as the Sabers targeted the other Marionettes. Rei reached out and formed a force field just as the Sabers opened fire. The Marionettes disappeared from view as the smoke from the gunfire and the bullets hitting the field and disintegrating obscured them. She listened as Otaru shouted something, but she didn't catch what as she was concentrating on keeping the shield up. Finally, the Sabers ceased fire. She saw the uniformed man say something to Otaru who responded to quietly for her to hear. Then one of the Sabers spoke. The man turned back to the other Marionettes who were coming back into view.  
  
"WHAT!?! "How!?!"  
  
Rei decided to give him an answer.  
  
"You just made a mistake." she said. She watched as everyone present turned and stared at her before she continued. "A very serious mistake." Her eyes began to glow as she summoned more power to her. "And you will be punished severely."  
  
She raised her hands above her head, lightning crackled between them. The man took a step back. Rei lowered both her hands. Lightning thundered downward from the heavens, slamming into the 2 Sabers that held their weapons on Otaru and Lorelei. The Sabers jerked under the onslaught of energy before collapsing to the ground. The man stared in shock at Rei, as did Otaru, Lorelei, that weird guy that was next to them, and the marionettes. Rei leaped over the railing and hovered a foot off the ground. A force bolt formed in her hand, which she then tossed at the 2 remaining Sabers. The force bolt ripped through the first Saber and continued onward. The second ducked, barely avoiding the bolt. It then stood up and started to lock onto Rei, when Rei waved her hand. The bolt reversed its course, crashing into the last Saber from behind. The man finally snapped out of shock and grabbed Lorelei. He pulled a gun out from his robes and held it to Lorelei's head.  
  
"Alright, stop right there or Lorelei dies."  
  
Rei floated down to the ground and crossed her arms. "You won't get away, so you should give up."  
  
The man smiled, "Oh I'll get away. And you...whatever you are.....will be dead." He pointed the gun at Rei and began to fire.  
  
Rei let out a sigh as her shield blocked the shots. 'They always do that. If the first doesn't get through, what makes them think the rest will?'  
  
After the 5th shot, the man finally seemed to get the idea and pointed the gun back at Lorelei. "You are going to let me leave now or she will die!"  
  
Rei glared at the man, "I will not. And no harm will come to her."  
  
"What makes you think I won't?"  
  
He watched as Rei's eyes glowed brightly for several seconds, then return to normal. She then smiled at him, "You need a weapon that can hurt someone first."  
  
The man turned and looked in shock at his weapon. The barrel of the gun was now a lump of melted metal. He tossed Lorelei and the now useless weapon away and began to run.  
  
"I will have revenge!! I'll return."  
  
Rei let out another sigh, "I hear that way to much. Go to hell." She waved her hand and the man vanished in a ball of flame.  
  
Otaru, who was kneeling next to Lorelei, stared at the spot the man had once stood. He then turned and looked at Rei. "What happened to him? Where is he?"  
  
"I sent him to hell." Rei then walked over and knelt down by Lorelei. "Hello Lorelei, How are you doing?"  
  
Lorelei stared at Rei for several seconds before she finally spoke. "Rei? Rei Ikari."  
  
"That is the name I go by." Rei said with a smile. "It's been a while hasn't it?" Lorelei sat up and embraced her old friend.  
  
"Otaru," said Hanagata, "What is going on? Who is this Marionette?"  
  
"I suggest we go to the castle." said Tiger, "Lord Faust will want to know about this."  
  
Lorelei let out a sigh, "Yes, your right." She then looked at Rei. "You can explain there."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
"You want to WHAT!?!?"  
  
Belldandy sat behind her desk staring at her older sister. "I believe that you heard what I said."  
  
Urd shook her head, "I did, but I can't believe it. The council ordered the search to stop and that no one was to be allowed to go to Terra 2 until further notice."  
  
"No, The council ordered the Valkyries to stop the search and forbid Gods, Goddesses and the Guardians from going down. They didn't say anything about..."  
  
"THAT IS NOT THE POINT!!" shouted Urd, "You're bending the rules Bell! You're going to get into trouble!"  
  
Belldandy leaned back in her chair, "I am not bending the rules. I just found a nice loophole in the current ruling."  
  
Urd sat down in a chair across from Belldandy and stared at her sister. "I think you've been hanging around Misato too much. This sounds like something that she would think of. I suppose there is no way I can talk you out of this?"  
  
Belldandy just smiled and shook her head.  
  
"Can you give me a reason why not?"  
  
"Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Touji have done a lot for the world and the heavens." Belldandy stood up and walked around her desk, and stood in front of Urd. "They have also done a lot for our family and have become a part of it. They mean so much to Sayoko I feel I owe them this."  
  
Urd let out a sigh, "Your right. I still think we could get in trouble but, your right." Urd stood up. "I'll go make the call then."  
  
Belldandy wrapped Urd up in a hug. "Thank you Urd."  
  
Urd headed towards the door. As she was about to leave, she glanced back at Belldandy. "They're doing another healing spell on Skuld and will be done in about 40 minutes. They seem to think she might wake up afterwards."  
  
Belldandy's smile got a bit bigger. "I'll meet you there."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Once again they met in the council room. This time there were 4 mortals, 6 marionettes, and one immortal. Baiko and Tamasaburo were out patrolling the castle grounds, watching for any sign of trouble. Rei sat at the end of the table, all eyes directed at her.  
  
"So," began Rei, "What do you want to know?"  
  
"First," said Lorelei, "Why don't you tell us who and what you are?"  
  
"I am Rei Ikari, but you already know that."  
  
"How can you be Rei though?" asked Faust, "She existed 300 years ago, and you don't look much older then 20."  
  
Rei smiled, "Thanks for the compliment, but you're a bit off. I'm 524."  
  
"524?!?" everyone was in shock.  
  
"Yes." replied Rei with a smile, "And just to clarify, Asuka and Sayoko are the same age as well."  
  
Lorelei stared at Rei stunned, "Asuka and Sayoko?! You really have to explain."  
  
"This goes back 500 years ago to earth." began Rei, "I met Asuka and later Sayoko while I was a pilot with NERV."  
  
"Pilot of what?" asked Tiger.  
  
"An Eva pilot."  
  
"You piloted those giant robots!!" exclaimed Luchs, stunned.  
  
"Yes, I did. Shortly after meeting Sayoko, the other pilots and I found out that Sayoko had a...hidden identity, that she was a Goddess."  
  
"A Goddess?" asked Otaru.  
  
Rei nodded, "In Sayoko's case she is the goddess of the present...." Rei then went on to explain the events that took place in Tokyo-3 and 2, including how the pilots achieved their new status of Guardians of Heaven. As she spoke, she answered questions posed to her. Finally, she was asked about the Mesopotamia.  
  
"Sayoko, Asuka, and myself were assigned to the Mesopotamia to observe and report to heaven and to keep an eye out for Demons. There were other gods and goddesses placed on the other ships." Rei got up and began to pace. "Everything was going fine until we started getting close to Terra 2." She stopped and looked at Faust and Lorelei. "We detected a demon on board. We searched for him, but the demon got to the computer and reprogrammed it before we could find him." Rei turned and faced the wall. "We failed in our mission." She turned back to face everyone. "For the next 300 years, we watched and waited, unable to directly interfere with the development of Terra 2. All we could do was observe and protect against Demon intervention. When Lorelei was rescued, our task was changed to include making sure that Lorelei and the clones survived. Which brings us up to today." Rei sat back down. "The Demons have targeted you Lorelei, and your clones."  
  
"Why?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"Why would anyone want to hurt Lorelei?" asked Lime.  
  
"The Demons want to cause suffering and pain. They also want to prevent Terra 2 from becoming a normal world, which would allow heaven to take a larger role in the course of events here. Without Lorelei and the clones...the planet remains as it has for the last 300 years, and any chance to change it will be lost."  
  
"So what do we do?" asked Otaru.  
  
"First, I need to contact heaven and let them know what has happened. But I...seem to have misplaced my communicator."  
  
"Round object?" asked Luchs. She held up her hands. "About this big?"  
  
Rei nodded, "Yes that's it. Where is it?"  
  
"Well....." Luchs turned and looked over at Cherry.  
  
"We found it in your pocket after we got you back to our apartment." said Cherry, "But it was broken by the same rock that broke your leg."  
  
Rei's eyes widened a bit. "It's broken?"  
  
Luchs nodded, "We have it downstairs, along with the helmet and the staff you left."  
  
"Downstairs?"  
  
"You remember that room you where in when you fought that demon?" asked Lorelei. Rei nodded. "They're in there, along with the weapons we've been designing to break through the AT-Fields of the S2 powered Sabers."  
  
Rei stared at Lorelei, "I have to see this."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Rei walked silently through the lab. She reached over and picked up her helmet. Her fingers traced the shattered visor. Her hand then moved over her eye. Shaking her head, she waved her hand over the helmet. The visor flashed bright white. When the light faded, the visor was completely repaired. Another pass of her hand and the helmet vanished completely. She then grabbed her staff, still in its lance formation. She twirled the staff about her before causing it to also vanish. Lorelei stared in surprise.  
  
"Where did they go?"  
  
Rei turned, "Little trick I learned from a Goddess named Skuld." she then smiled, "She always seemed to have an endless supply of bombs." Rei looked over the rest of the table, taking notice a knife whose blade seemed to shimmer. Rei picked it up, staring at the blade. "A progressive knife?" asked Rei quietly.  
  
"Yes." replied Lorelei, "Faust and I were able to build that from plans we found. It is exactly like those the Evas carried, only human sized. We have constructed several more."  
  
Rei nodded before placing the knife back on the table. "What about my communicator?"  
  
Lorelei led Rei towards the back of the chamber. On a table next to a computer lay the communicator. Rei let out a sigh as she took in the smashed device.  
  
"Great....Just great."  
  
"Can you repair it?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"Given time, yes" said Rei, "But I need micro tools and..."  
  
"I can supply all the tools you'll need." replied Lorelei, "And I believe Luchs can assist you."  
  
Rei nodded. "Thank you." She then turned back to look at the communicator. "Lorelei, about what happened on the Mesopotamia......."  
  
Lorelei slowly turned to face Rei. "What about it?" she said slowly.  
  
"About what happened to you."  
  
Lorelei stared at Rei, "You knew I was held by the computer?"  
  
Rei sat down in a nearby chair and closed her eyes. "We knew. But even though a demon was the cause of it all, we were ordered not to interfere by Kami-sama."  
  
"But....why?"  
  
Rei shrugged. "It is not our place to question Kami-sama. Some of the things he does which seem strange at the time are later proven to be the right decision." Rei then looked Lorelei in the face. "But if it had been up to Asuka, Sayoko, or myself, you would have been freed a long time ago. You were our friend, and it pained us to leave you." Rei looked down at the floor. "I hope someday that you can forgive us for leaving you behind.  
  
Lorelei smiled, "I believe you Rei. And there is nothing to be forgiven. Everything did work out for the best. Now let's get that communicator working."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
"I really hate you!....I mean it!"  
  
"Onee-sama!"  
  
"Grrrr Skuld-bomb away!"  
  
"Is there no hope left?"  
  
"Don't Auntie me!"  
  
"SKULD!"  
  
Skuld practically leaped as she sat up.  
  
"Easy Skuld." came a voice, "You're alright now."  
  
Skuld turned her head to see a healer standing next to her. She lay on a bed in a bright white room, definitely heaven.  
  
"What happened?" she croaked.  
  
"Apparently you had a run in with a powerful explosive. You've been unconscious for 3 days now. Considering the extent of your injuries, you are lucky you're even awake." The healer turned and headed towards the door. As he opened the door, he spoke to someone on the other side. "She is awake." No sooner had he spoken then 2 people raced into the room. Skuld found herself being smothered in a hug by both Urd and Belldandy. Finally, Belldandy pulled away and looked at Skuld.  
  
"I'm glad your alive." Her face then turned vary serious, sending a chill down Skuld's and Urd's spine. "But I told you to be careful."  
  
"We were." replied Skuld. "At least I thought we were."  
  
"Apparently not enough." said Urd quietly.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Belldandy glanced Urd before speaking. "Sayoko's leg was broken in several different spots. Her arm was also broken. Asuka had several broken ribs and both legs broken, but her Guardian powers kicked in and they have since healed. She also lost her voice, something about the air pressure change when the N2 mine went off, at least, that's the current theory."  
  
"What about Rei?"  
  
Belldandy's voice became very quiet. "We don't know. The Valkyries couldn't find any sign of her in the crater."  
  
"Then she's still on Terra 2?" Skuld started to get up. "Well let's go find her."  
  
Belldandy placed her hands on Skuld's shoulders and pushed her back down to the bed. "You are not going anywhere. You are to remain in bed and resting for several more days. As to Terra 2, we've been forbidden to send anyone else there from here."  
  
"Just like that...We're giving up on Rei?" Skuld frowned, "That sucks."  
  
"Actually," said Urd with a smile, "Bell here had me call in a favor. We haven't given up on Rei yet."  
  
Skuld looked at Belldandy, "Who did you send?"  
  
"I didn't send anyone." replied Belldandy, "I just...asked. Don't worry, if Rei is alive she will be found."  
  
"I hope so." Skuld settled back down onto the bed. "That N2 mine was pretty bad. What ever the Demons are planning, I hope Rei won't have to face it alone."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Japoness, Terra 2  
  
An Alley.  
  
  
A cat quietly picked through a trash can carelessly left open. Finding a mostly intact fish, the cat pulled it out and onto the ground. As the cat began to eat, a gust of wind swept through the alley. The cat turned and looked around. Seeing a circle of light appearing on the ground, the cat moved towards it. It was about 3 feet away when flames burst forth from the circle. The cat turned and fled. When the flames vanished, a figure in black stood silently within the still glowing circle, red markings upon its face. The figure rose off the ground and landed on a rooftop. Taking in the view of the city, the figure smiled.  
  
"Time to get to work." The Demon said quietly.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 


	7. Chapter 6: Trust and the Demon

Chapter 6  
  
Trust and the Demon  
  
  
  
Cherry was busy making lunch at the restaurant.  
  
"Well, what do you think?  
  
Cherry looked up. "Hmm?"  
  
Sitting across from her, Luchs spoke again. "Of Rei. What do you think of Rei?"  
  
"Well she seems nice enough." replied Cherry, "Lorelei trusts her."  
  
"But do you?"  
  
"She came out of nowhere and helped us not once but twice against those Sabers, as did her friends. Until she does something to cast doubt on what she has done, I trust her." Cherry then looked up from her cooking. "If you don't trust her why are you here? I thought you would be helping her repairing the communicator."  
  
"I was. Lime showed up and started asking Rei questions. As soon as Rei answered one question, Lima asked another. It was driving me crazy so I decided to come here."  
  
"You left Lime alone with her?"  
  
Luchs nodded, "I'm actually feeling a bit sorry for Rei."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
"What's that do?"  
  
Rei clenched her teeth in frustration. 'God I miss Asuka. At least after she yelled at you for a while she finally shut up.'  
  
It was the 75th question that Lime had asked her after all. "It allows the signal to go from this plane of existence into the heavens."  
  
"How does it do that?" asked Lime, her eyes staring wide at Rei.  
  
"It....it....." Rei leaned back and the chair, placing the tools down. "I don't know how, it just does."  
  
"Oh." Lime remained quiet for several minutes, much to Rei's relief. That relief was short lived as Lime opened her mouth again. "Hey Rei, How does.....?"  
  
Rei didn't hear the last part of the question as her head impacted onto the table.  
  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Earth  
Neo-Tokyo (formerly Tokyo-2/3)  
  
The city stretched across the landscape for miles in each direction, even up. None alive remembered the days when one could look up and see the sky without the huge buildings looming overhead. Much of the earth had become like this, a vast city complex covering the Earth. Few open areas remained. Such areas, like the oceans and parks, were the last remnants of those who came before. One such remnant lay near the area of Neo-Tokyo, in an area once part of the city known as Tokyo-3. In this park, domed over for protection from the pollution beyond, was a large circular lake, surrounded by trees and a few open fields. Rising at one end was a large cliff. An ancient railing ran along the edge to keep people from falling. A few park benches were scatter all over the park. One bench had been pulled up to the railing and was now occupied by a girl with brown hair. She seemed lost in thought, leaning against the railing and staring out over the lake. She remained like this until she was disturbed by someone calling to her.  
  
"Auntie Sayoko!!"  
  
Sayoko turned to see a small red head racing towards her. Far behind, a women, obviously the girl's mother, was trying to catch up. Sayoko knelt down in time to be caught up in a flying tackle from the red headed girl.  
  
"Ommph." Sayoko fell backwards to the ground, the girl grabbing her in a tight hug.  
  
"Auntie Sayoko! Mama thought we'd find you here!"  
  
"So she sent you on ahead to make sure I couldn't get away, right Yui?"  
  
Yui gave Sayoko a smile, "No, I just missed you."  
  
Asuka finally arrived at this point. Leaning heavily against the bench, Asuka glared at her daughter. "I thought...I told you....No running. Remember, the healers said Mama isn't at full strength yet."  
  
Yui looked down towards the ground. "I'm sorry Mama."  
  
"Its alright Yui." Asuka then smiled, "Now why don't you go see if its still here. We'll catch up to you shortly."  
  
"OKAY!" Yui quickly jumped off Sayoko and ran off. Asuka helped Sayoko off the ground before they both headed in the direction Yui had run to.  
  
"You looking better." said Sayoko.  
  
"So are you." replied Asuka. "Any word yet?"  
  
"No. Mom has been pacing around her office and the house waiting for news."  
  
"It's been 3 days!"  
  
Sayoko looked at Asuka, "It's been 6 days if you count from when the mine went off. If Rei hasn't turned up yet......"  
  
Asuka glared at Sayoko, "Don't you even think that!"  
  
"I'm trying not to! But we haven't had any sign of her!"  
  
"Mama! Auntie! I found it!" shouted Yui.  
  
Asuka and Sayoko walked quietly to where Yui was standing. Before them was a monument, erected on the cliff so that it faced the lake. On the monument were statues of 5 figures, standing upon a pile of debris. Each figure looked off in a different direction. Yui pointed towards one of the figures.  
  
"Look! It's Papa."  
  
Asuka looked up at the statue of Shinji. The statue was standing with the right foot set a bit higher then the left, causing the knee to be bent. His arms were at his sides, with his left arm slightly raised. His face had a look of determination in it as it stared off into the forest.  
  
"I don't remember him ever looking like that." said Sayoko.  
  
"Not at the beginning," replied Asuka, "Maybe after the later Angels."  
  
The walked around to look at the next statue. This one was of a girl, her hair flowing behind her. Both her hands were on her hips as if about to mock the observer. Her face was also one of determination.  
  
"Well at least they got the attitude right." remarked Sayoko.  
  
"What's that mean Auntie?" asked Yui.  
  
"Well, when your mother was 14, she was a real b..."  
  
"HEY!" shouted a blushing Asuka. "Don't tell her things like that!"  
  
Moving to the next statue, they saw a male figure, its arms crossed over its chest.  
  
"Uncle Touji looks good." said Yui.  
  
Asuka shook her head, "I still can't believe they put him next to me."  
  
"Neither can he." said Sayoko.  
  
The next statue was of a girl. She stood with her arms at her sides, looking down at the people who passed by the statue, her hair flowing behind her. Markings had been etched on the forehead and cheeks.  
  
"I haven't changed much in 500 years have I?" asked Sayoko.  
  
"Not much." said Asuka. "maybe a little thicker around the waist."  
  
"HEY!!"  
  
The last statue faced the lake, which was fitting because it was the destruction of her Eva that created it. The figure stood, looking out, with only the barest hint of a smile on its face.  
  
"You know," began Asuka, "Everytime I see this statue, I feel bad about calling her a doll."  
  
"Is that why you always cook a veggie meal for her after coming here?" asked Sayoko. Asuka blushed slightly and nodded.  
  
"It was my way of apologizing." Asuka said quietly, "I...never could say it to her face. If she's gone...I...."  
  
Sayoko put her hand on Asuka's shoulder. "She'll make it."  
  
Asuka nodded before speaking, "Let's get out of here." Turning to Yui, "Come on Yui. We're going home."  
  
Sayoko walked next to Asuka as she grabbed her daughter's hand and headed towards the exit. Sliding doors opened and they found themselves on a city street, the giant park dome behind them.  
  
"It still gets to me how much this place has changed." remarked Asuka as they walked along.  
  
"Good or Bad?" asked Sayoko.  
  
"Good that humanity has gone on and prospered. Bad that they have totally screwed up this planet and decided to go out into space and screw up another."  
  
"Welcome to the wonderful world of Godhood and all it entails." replied Sayoko, "Remind me to have Grandpa tell you about the people of Atlantis."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Terra 2  
  
City-State of Japoness  
  
  
Tamasaburo looked out over Japoness from her rooftop perch. Much had changed since she was activated. First she had been tasked to protect the Shoguns. Then she temporary stored the Shoguns memories and was used to insure the successful rescue of Lorelei. Now she and Baiko were tasked with protection of Lorelei and her clones. This job had gotten more difficult in the last few weeks with the arrival of a new threat: the Demons. If you had asked Tamasaburo if she thought that Gods and Demons had existed weeks ago, she would have replied that she would not have enough data to analyze and provide a report. Now though, that was a different story. With the help of Rei, Tamasaburo and Baiko's scanning programs had been updated so they could identify Demons better.  
  
"Tamasaburo."  
  
Tamasaburo lifted her head at the sound of Baiko's voice over her receiver.  
  
"Here." Tamasaburo transmitted.  
  
"Possible target in quadrant 025. Marionettes JSM-02C, JSM-03B, GSM-01T, GSM-02L, and GSM-03P are enroute. JSM-01L will remain with Lorelei. Requesting back-up."  
  
"On the way."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
The Demon looked down from her perch, staring at the assortment of men and machines.  
  
"Marionettes..." the Demon mumbled quietly, "This is definitely a strange place."  
  
A sudden sense of danger flared in the back of her mind. The Demon threw up her shield, deflecting the throwing stars that were about to impact into her. Looking up, the Demon saw where the stars had come from.  
  
"The Imperial Guard, Baiko." the marionette stated simply.  
  
"And her partner, Tamasaburo." came a voice from behind her. "Why are you here Demon?"  
  
"Would you believe I'm just here taking in the sights?" asked the Demon with a smile.  
  
Both of the marionettes just stared at her, their faces unchanging.  
  
The Demon sighed, "I guess not. Sorry ladies, but I have a job to do." With that, the Demon leaped off the building and took off running down the street.  
  
"Target is moving East from current location." transmitted Baiko.  
  
"Understood." came Tiger's voice. "We have it."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
'Peace and quiet'  
  
Rei let out a loud sigh. Lime had finally run out of questions and left her. While she liked Lime, Rei thought she could be very annoying at times. The sound of the door opening disturbed her thoughts. Rei looked up from where she had been working on her communicator as Lime reentered the room.  
  
"What's going on?" 'Please don't have anymore questions....'  
  
"Baiko and Tama found a Demon." replied Lime, "The others are on the way to help them."  
  
"A demon!!" Rei started to stand up, "We should go and..."  
  
Lime put her hands on Rei shoulders, "They have those new progressive thingies. They'll be fine. Otaru said so."  
  
Rei looked at Lime questioningly, "And you trust what Otaru says?"  
  
"Of course. I love Otaru!"  
  
"uhh...right."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
  
The Demon ran down the streets, bumping into people left and right. The sense of danger came back to her as she approached the street corner. She stopped immediately, just in time to avoid the knife that would have struck her in the chest. She looked down at the now quivering knife, stuck in the ground.  
  
"Progressive knife....oh crap."  
  
"Halt Demon!"  
  
The Demon looked up to see 3 marionettes running at her.  
  
"Great.." the Demon mumbled. She turned and ran down another street, the marionettes in hot pursuit. She rounded another corner just as her danger sense kicked in, this time a bit late. An arm caught her in the throat, send her crashing to the ground.  
  
"Hey Cherry! Look I got her."  
  
The Demon looked up to see a red hair marionette grinning down at her. Just off the side, a purple haired marionette tossed her a progressive blade.  
  
"Take her out quickly." replied Cherry.  
  
"Right." Red turned to plunge the blade downward. The Demon took that moment to lash out with her legs, tripping Red. Red crashed to the ground. The Demon got back on her feet and immediately took off, heading towards a side street. She had almost rounded the corner when something impacted into her side, spinning her around. Pain soon followed her. The Demon reached around and pulled the knife from her side.  
  
"Damn it." Holding a hand to her side, the Demon raced down the side street, though not as fast as she once had. The 5 Marionettes continued to pursue her. Rounding another corner, the Demon found herself at a dead end. Trapped she turned around to face her pursuers. The 5 marionettes came around the corner and stopped.  
  
"Alright Demon," said one of the marionettes, "Your dead."  
  
"Quit talking and get her Panther." said Red. "She'll get away."  
  
"No she won't." replied Panther pointing up. Everyone looked up to see Baiko and Tamasaburo standing on the rooftops over the Demon. "She's had it."  
  
The Demon looked at the 7 marionettes surrounding her. 'I didn't volunteer for this!'  
  
"ALRIGHT!" the Demon shouted. "I have had enough!"  
  
The marionettes stared at her. "What?" asked Panther.  
  
"No more playing around." The Demon raised her head, her eyes began to glow a bright red. "Now feel the wraith of a Class 0 Demon!" As she spoke her words, the ground began to shake violently, causing the marionettes to fall to the ground.  
  
The ground split, large shafts of rock blasted from the ground, scattering the marionettes about.  
  
"I think we're in trouble!" shouted Cherry.  
  
"No kidding." shouted Tiger.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Rei was continuing to work on her communicator when she was hit by a feeling, something she always associated with Demons. But this feeling seemed familiar somehow. Rei searched her mind for the last time she felt this particular one. Tools clattered to the floor as she realized who it was.  
  
"LIME!"  
  
Lime ran into the room. "What!? What is it?!"  
  
Rei grabbed Lime, "You said they are fighting a demon right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Do you know what the demon looks like?"  
  
Lime nodded, "Baiko transmitted a picture back here. It's a blond hair Demon with red slash marks on her...." Seeing Rei go very pale Lime stopped, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Lots of things." Rei tightened her grip on Lime. "Hold on."  
  
With a flash, the two vanished.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Bloodberry, Cherry, and Tiger peered out from their hiding spot, a parked vehicle. Luchs, Panther, Tamasaburo, and Baiko lay about the area, having been tossed against the walls by the Demon. Even though they had wounded the Demon 2 more times, it seemed as if the Demon grew stronger the madder she got.  
  
"Any Ideas?" asked Bloodberry.  
  
Tiger was about to answer when Lime and Rei appeared next to them.  
  
"What are you doing here!?" asked Bloodberry.  
  
Rei looked them over, "I'd say I got here in time. Where are the others?"  
  
"Laying over there, there, some of them are there and over there and...."  
  
Rei held up her hand, "Ok. I got the picture."  
  
"Do you have a plan?" asked Tiger.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
"I'm going to step out and talk to her."  
  
"YOUR WHAT!?!?!" shouted the marionettes.  
  
"Are you crazy?" shouted Bloodberry, "She blasted the crap out of everyone else! What makes you think she won't do the same to you?"  
  
"I know her."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
The Demon leaned against the wall, trying to stay standing. She had expended a lot of energy against the marionettes. The wounds she had received weren't helping either. The knifes had hurt her a lot, but she was determined to get those....things back.  
  
'I faced off against the Lord of Terror, Angels, Evas, and screaming hordes of rogue Demons, and Belldandy's temper. I will not go down to robots with attitudes.'  
  
Movement from where the marionettes were hiding caught her eye. She formed a force ball and sent it hurtling at the emerging figure.  
  
"TAKE THAT!!"  
  
She watched as the ball head straight towards the figure, who made no move to avoid it. Just as it was about to hit, a blue shield blocked it. The demon stared stunned at what had happened.  
  
"Wha?" The demon reached out, trying to detect who the person was, but she sensed nothing.  
  
"Mara! Don't shoot!" called out the figure.  
  
'That voice...it's familiar....' Mara stood up and stumbled towards the figure. "Who is that?" she called out. As the figure came into view, Mara's eyes grew wide. "You!"  
  
Rei smiled, "Hello Mara."  
  
"Found you..." came Mara's reply, "Now...its time to rest." Mara's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fell to the ground. Rei was instantly by her side. After examining Mara, Rei turned and looked towards the hiding spot.  
  
"LIME!"  
  
A head poked out from behind the car. "Yes?"  
  
"Run back to the castle!" shouted Rei, "Tell Lorelei I'm bringing back a friend."  
  
"A friend!?" came Bloodberry's voice, "After what she just did!?"  
  
"It was a misunderstanding. Go Lime."  
  
"Right." Lime raced off towards the castle.  
  
Tiger, Bloodberry, and Cherry walked up to Rei. Rei had begun to chant, her hands glowing as she held them over Mara.  
  
"What do you think your doing?" asked Tiger.  
  
"Healing her." came Rei's response.  
  
"But she's a Demon!"  
  
"Yes she is, but she's on our side. Now go gather up the others. We're going back to the castle."  
  
"Even the demon?"  
  
"Even the demon."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"I don't like this at all!" shouted Tiger.  
  
"Me either." agreed Bloodberry. "Why are you letting her do this?"  
  
The marionettes, Lorelei, Otaru, and Faust all sat in the sitting room of the castle.  
  
"Because I trust her." replied Lorelei, "She was my friend on the Mesopotamia and has never done us any harm."  
  
"We don't know that!" said Panther. She and Luchs had been fixed rather quickly. Tamasaburo and Baiko were still undergoing repairs. "She never told you who or what she was back then. What makes you think she's telling the truth now?"  
  
"And she's brought in a potential threat with that demon." added Luchs, "You've seen how powerful they are. Why did you let her bring it here?"  
  
"Because I believe she is telling us the truth." Lorelei stated, "And I will continue to do so until she proves otherwise."  
  
"But....." began Tiger.  
  
"No more buts. Now I need to speak to Otaru and Faust." Turning to Lime, Lorelei added, "Lime, would you go and ask Rei to come up here please. We need to talk to her about the demon."  
  
"OK." Lime got up and followed the others out into the hallway.  
  
"I still think she's wrong." Tiger said.  
  
"Even if she is," replied Cherry, "What do you expect us to do?"  
  
"We keep an eye on Rei and that demon." replied Bloodberry, "If they try anything, we need to be here to protect Otaru and Lorelei."  
  
"Don't forget Faust." said Luchs.  
  
"I'm not forgetting him," replied Bloodberry, "But he is your master, and Otaru is ours."  
  
"That's right." said Panther, "And I pity the person who dares to harm our masters."  
  
With that, the Saber Dolls walked off down the hallway. Lime had watched and heard everything.  
  
"You don't really think Rei is bad do you?" asked Lime.  
  
Bloodberry and Cherry glanced at each other before looking at Lime.  
  
"We don't know Lime." said Cherry, "There is so much that we still don't know about her."  
  
"But she told us about her past and..."  
  
"She told us..." said Bloodberry, "We have no way of finding out if she is telling us the truth."  
  
"But she's been very nice to me." said Lime .  
  
"Lime," said Cherry, "She may only be being nice to us so she can get close to Lorelei."  
  
"But she's been alone with Lorelei."  
  
"Yes, but now there is that demon." said Bloodberry, "We might have been handle Rei on her own, but now the demon is with her. If they decide to go against us......Lorelei may end up dead, along with anyone near her."  
  
Lime's eyes widened, "But, Otaru is near her!"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Crimson eyes slowly opened, revealing a wooden ceiling to their owner. Mara slowly sat up, her body protesting as she did so.  
  
"Ouch." Mara mumbled.  
  
"Nice to see you up and about." Mara turned to see Rei standing over her. "How are you doing Mara?"  
  
"I feel like a truck hit me." Mara's eyes narrowed, "Scratch that, I feel like I got jumped by 7 pieces of walking soon-to-be scrap."  
  
Rei winced, "In their defense, they have been attacked by several demons over the last few weeks. So when you were spotted......."  
  
"Yeah yeah," Mara waved her hand, "I got it."  
  
"What brings you here anyway? I thought Hell was leaving Terra 2 alone."  
  
"It is." replied Mara, "I'm here as a favor to Belldandy."  
  
Rei frowned, "What do you mean?"  
  
"After the mine went off, Sayoko set off her emergency beacon. Mist and the Valkyries arrived as quickly as they could. They went about searching for you, Asuka, and Skuld. Only you didn't turn up."  
  
"Are the others alright?"  
  
"Last I heard all 3 were back on their feet."  
  
Rei frowned, "So why didn't they keep looking for me?"  
  
"Belldandy wanted too, but the rest of the council got worried." Mara sat up an assumed the posture of someone in an authority position. "By the order of the Council of Heaven, no deities are to be allowed on Terra 2 until further notice. Terra 2 is currently 'closed' to the heavens."  
  
"I wondered why I couldn't open a gate." mumbled Rei.  
  
Mara smiled, "Since she wasn't allowed to search for you, Belldandy asked me to come and look. Speaking of which..." Mara began to search her pockets. "I know I put it in.....here it is!" Mara pulled out a round device, which promptly fell apart. Mara face followed the pieces to the floor. "Crap. Must have taken a hit somewhere."  
  
"Don't worry about it. I've been rebuilding mine." Rei gathered up the pieces of the communicator, "I can use parts of yours to get mine functioning, then contact heaven."  
  
"Why wait?" Mara replied, "I can zap us to hell and then we can get a hold of them from there."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Of course, it'll be a snap." Mara snapped her fingers, emitting a few sparks. Mara frowned and stared at her hand. She snapped her hands again, still only emitting a few sparks. Mara let out a sigh, "Great......Just great. No power."  
  
"You were injured pretty badly, " noted Rei, "It may take time for your power to come back up to full."  
  
"Yeah well......" Mara stood up, "I can at least help you assemble the.........." Mara's voice trailed away. Rei turned to see what Mara was looking at. Standing in the door was Lime. She stared wide-eyed at Mara.  
  
"What is it Lime?" asked Rei.  
  
Lime continued to stare at Mara.  
  
"Lime, This is Mara, Demon Class 0. Mara, this is Lime." Turning to Lime, "Don't worry, she won't hurt you. Now what is it?"  
  
"Lorelei wants to see you," replied Lime, still watching Mara.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Her."  
  
Rei looked over at Mara, "I think you should come with. You'll be able to answer their questions better then I could."  
  
Mara nodded, still watching Lime, "Alright."  
  
Both turned and headed towards the door. As they waked past Lime, Rei took a second look at the marionette. Lime looked very nervous. "Lime? Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine." Lime did not meet Rei's face. She turned and began walking down the hallway.  
  
"That was strange." Rei said quietly.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Mara.  
  
"She acted like she was scared of something," Rei then glanced at Mara, "or someone."  
  
"Since when do robots have emotions?" asked Mara, still watching Lime moving down the hallway.  
  
"You don't know anything about this planet do you?" asked Rei.  
  
"Should I?"  
  
Rei took off after Lime, "You should. I will tell you all about them, and why you shouldn't be afraid of Lime."  
  
"WHAT?!" Mara frowned and crossed her arms, "Me? Afraid? Not likely."  
  
Rei looked back at Mara, "So you wouldn't mind it if I left you here, while I talked to Faust, Otaru and Lorelei."  
  
"Not at all."  
  
"Alright." Rei turned and went down the hallway. "Say hi to the Imperial Guard for me when they come by."  
  
"The who?"  
  
"The Imperial Guard, Baiko and Tamasaburo." Rei stopped and turned to face Mara, "They are the marionettes that guard Lorelei and this castle. They should be up and about soon."  
  
Mara's face went very pale as she remembered the first 2 marionettes who attacked her. "Uhh, Rei? On second thought, I'm coming with."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I didn't stop writing, I've just been busy with other things.  
It has been brought to my attention that not too many people, at least those who follow Eva and AMG, understand Saber Marionette J. That being the case, I am including a web site that explains the series: http://www.geocities.com/~davidpascal/smj/anint.html  
  
Now, once again, I am including a section from my as yet unnamed and unfinished story, which takes place between Chapters 17 and 18 of Neon Genesis: Goddess  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Sayoko was walking home with Rei, Shinji and Asuka. Dark clouds loomed overhead. Shinji looked up.  
  
"I hope it doesn't rain." He said.  
  
Rei gave Shinji a look. "Why did you go and say that?"  
  
"I'm just saying, I hope it doesn't....." BOOM! "...rain" Shinji finished as the clouds began to open up. Rain poured down from the sky. Rei and Asuka glared at Shinji while they held their bags over their heads.  
  
"Shinji you idiot!" shouted Asuka. "Now look what you've done!"  
  
"Its not my fault!" shouted Shinji, his bag over his head.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Asuka turned back to continue towards the Apartment, when she noticed Sayoko. She was standing quietly from under an umbrella.  
  
"Where did you pull that from?" asked Asuka, slightly irritated.  
  
Sayoko smiled, "I'm a goddess remember." She then turned and began to walk down the street. Asuka glared at Sayoko's retreating form.  
  
"One of these days....." muttered Asuka.  
  
Just as they started walking again, a car raced past them. It quietly raced further down the street. As Rei followed the car with her eyes, she noticed something directly in the cars path. A large puddle of water. She then turned and Sayoko almost even with the puddle.  
  
"SAYOKO!!!! WATCH OUT!!" shouted Rei.  
  
Sayoko turned back as it to ask why, when the car hit the puddle. Sayoko had no time to react as the water cascaded towards her. Asuka, Rei and Shinji quickly hurried up to their now drenched friend. Rei reached her first and turned to face her.  
  
"Sayoko are you..." began Rei, but she never finished it. The look on Sayoko's face chilled her. Sayoko's normally warm and cheerful blue eyes were now very cold looking and were taking on an unearthly glow. Her anger was so great, that she was shaking.  
  
"That's.....it..." she muttered, "That's it. I HAVE HAD IT!!"  
  
Sayoko began to chant and rose a foot above the ground. The entire time she never took her eyes off the car. Rei, Shinji and Asuka took several steps back. Sayoko raised both her hands and pointed towards the car. 4 loud explosions reached the children's ears. They watched as the car came quickly to a halt, and the driver get out to discover that all his tires were flat. Sayoko floated back to the ground with a small smirk on her face.  
  
"That'll teach him." Sayoko then started off towards her apartment. Rei, Shinji and Asuka hung back a second.  
  
"Did she just..." asked Asuka. "I don't believe she just..."  
  
Shinji turned and looked at Rei, "Can she do that?"  
  
Rei was about to answer when the sound of thunder rumbled across the sky. A bright flash came from up the street followed by a cry of shock. The children quickly ran up the street to find a stunned Sayoko laying on the sidewalk looking slightly scorched. All that was left of her umbrella was a charred frame. Next to Sayoko were glowing words in a language that Asuka had only seen once before, in a message Sayoko had sent to her Aunt. Rei knelt next to Sayoko.  
  
"Sayoko! Are you alright?"  
  
Sayoko opened her eyes slowly. "Did someone get the number of that truck that hit me?"  
  
Rei helped Sayoko sit up. "Are you ok?" asked Rei again.  
  
Sayoko turned to look at Rei, "A little woozy, but I think I'm fine. What happened?"  
  
"That's what we were going to ask you." said Asuka.  
  
"Maybe this will explain." said Shinji pointing towards the glowing words.  
  
"Maybe what will...." Sayoko lost her voice as she stared at the message. As she read the words, her face became very pale. "I'm.....I'm...."  
  
Rei looked at Sayoko. "What's wrong? What does it say?"  
  
Sayoko looked as if she was about to cry. She quickly got up and began to run. Rei, Asuka, and Shinji quickly took off after her. At the spot they had just left, a blond haired woman with red eyes stepped out. She looked down at the now fading message. She could not read it, but she knew what it meant. She closed her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry kid." She then opened her eyes and looked up. "I hope you can forgive me someday." 


	8. Chapter 7: The Demon and the Marionette

Chapter 7  
  
The Demon and the Marionette  
  
  
"I don't know about this." said Otaru.  
  
Otaru, Lorelei and Faust all sat around in the sitting room, waiting for Rei to show up.  
  
"Otaru, this is my decision." replied Lorelei, "We need to find out what is happening, and Rei is the only one who can tell us."  
  
"But we've only just met her."  
  
"Correction," said Lorelei, "You have only just met her. I knew her 300 years ago, as did Faust. We know her."  
  
Otaru looked at Faust, "Is that true?"  
  
Faust stared at Lorelei for several seconds before replying, "Personally, I have never met her. But in a way, it is true that I know Rei. I do have the memories of the previous 9 Faust's, which include the memories of the original. But I am concerned about this situation."  
  
"Why?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"There were many safety and security precautions taken to prevent anyone from disrupting the colonization effort. Remember, there were many who felt to leave the earth for a new home in the stars was immoral and an affront to God."  
  
Lorelei nodded, "I remember. But what does that have to do with Rei?"  
  
"It concerns me how easily they got onboard. They were able to join the crew without raising the suspicions of anyone."  
  
"Rei did say that their orders were to do exactly that."  
  
"But it is still unnerving to know we were being watch by such powerful beings" replied Faust, "If they had wanted to help, why didn't they make their presence known while we were on Earth? They could have helped us to solve the problems on the planet."  
  
"Because we were not and still are not allowed to do so."  
  
The 3 turned to see Rei had entered the sitting room, the demon right behind her. Both walked up to the seated mortals.  
  
"We are limited to what we can and cannot do." Rei said looking at Faust, "There are some things that mortals must learn on their own, without our interference. It is that, that allows you to grow and to mature as a society." Rei then looked at the others. "Since you wanted to discuss the demons, I brought along Mara. She is a Class 0 Demon, a very powerful demon, one of the few demons to reach that ranking."  
  
"So why is she standing next to you?" asked Otaru, "Considering you blasted the other demon."  
  
Rei turned and faced Mara, "You would be able to explain it better then me."  
  
Mara nodded and turned to face the mortals. "The demons that have been attacking you are rogue demons, demons that no longer follow the orders of hell."  
  
"Two sets of demons?" asked Otaru.  
  
"Yes. 500 years ago, a large group broke off, wanting to return to the days when heaven and hell openly fought each other. With the help of a disgruntled God, they were able to take over heaven. It was with the help of an Army of Demons that remained loyal to Oni-sama, that the few remaining Gods were able to retake heaven. With many of their leaders killed, the rogue demons as they became called, became disorganized. The next 200 years were chaotic as various rogue demon groups plotted and attempted to cause as many problems as they could for Mortal, God, and Demon alike. The rogue Demons reorganized about 360 years ago under a new leader. Since then, they have been smarter and harder to find."  
  
"But what are you doing here?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"That explosion." replied Mara. She then looked at Otaru, "Rei said you were there when she was found."  
  
Otaru nodded, "I was. So were Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry."  
  
"There were 2 more Goddesses there, along with another Guardian of Heaven, like Rei. They were found by a rescue party sent by the heavens. But they had no idea that Rei had been found by you. So I was asked to look for her."  
  
"Why you?" asked Faust, "Why couldn't they find their missing person on their own?"  
  
"The Guardian's are a bit different from Gods and Goddesses do to our Guardian role." replied Rei, "First, we have a lot more power at our disposal then they do. We also have the capability of healing quicker. We are also harder to detect then Gods or Demons. I am able to sense a God or Demon over extreme distances and if familiar with them, I can identify exactly who they are. But Gods and Demons are unable to do that for us. They would actually have to have physical contact with us to detect our power. The only way we have been able to successfully detect a guardian is by using another guardian."  
  
"But that still doesn't explain why she is here." said Otaru, pointing at Mara.  
  
"I'm here as a favor to a friend." said Mara, "The Goddess in charge of Terra 2 asked me to come here, because she is currently unable to send anyone from heaven."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Apparently, there are those in heaven who are unsure about the situation here. After all, 2 Guardians and 2 Goddesses were defeated at the hands of the Demons."  
  
"So what happens now?" asked Lorelei. "Will you be taking Rei home?"  
  
Mara shook her head. "Currently, I am unable to do so. That fight with your robots weakened me to the point I am unable to use any of my powers."  
  
"Which means I'm back to trying to repair the communicator." Rei said.  
  
"Do you need any assistance?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"No," replied Rei, "I'm doing alright for the most part. Luchs and Lime were helpful. That reminds me, what's wrong with Lime?"  
  
Lorelei and Otaru looked at each other questioningly. Otaru then looked at Rei.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"She seemed.....afraid when she came to get me." Rei shrugged her arms, "I was just curious if she said anything to you on why."  
  
"She hasn't said anything to me." said Otaru.  
  
"It's possible one of the other marionettes said something to her." said Faust, "They spoke very strongly against allowing Mara to remain here."  
  
Mara and Rei looked at Faust. "What do you mean?" asked Rei.  
  
"The girls are concerned about my safety. They are worried about allowing a demon to be here after all that has happened." said Lorelei, "There are also concerns about you Rei."  
  
Rei remained quiet for a minute before answering. "I realize a lot has happened and I understand why they may be concerned, why you may be concerned. But you must believe me, I intend no harm to you or anyone else here. I promise."  
  
Mara looked up, "You'll have no problems from me. I'll just help Rei and stay out of the way."  
  
Lorelei looked at both Faust and Otaru before speaking, "We'll hold you to that."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Rei and Mara walked silently back towards the laboratories below the castle. Mara finally could stand the silence no more.  
  
"Dammit all! How could they not trust us!"  
  
"Trust is a hard thing to earn," replied Rei, "But it is the easiest thing to lose. Give them time."  
  
"Easier said then done." muttered Mara, "You knew Lorelei and Faust back on the Mesopotamia. They can at least vouch for you. I've got squat."  
  
"They have my word about you."  
  
"...Which is no good if they don't trust you." Mara closed her eyes, "Weren't you going to explain this planet to me?"  
  
"I thought I did."  
  
"No all you said was that the planet was populated my men and 'marionettes.' How the hell did it end up that way? Where does Lorelei fit in?"  
  
Rei opened the door and entered the lab, Mara right behind her. "It's a rather long and complicated story. You might be better off going to the Terra 2 Pioneer History Museum."  
  
"A Museum hmmm? Where is it?"  
  
Rei glanced at Mara as she sat down in front of the repair table where the communicator lay. "It's on the edge of Japoness. I could see if one of the marionettes could take you."  
  
Mara paled slightly, "Ahhh, I don't want to disturb them. I'll just wait for you when you have a break."  
  
Rei's eyes narrowed, "Oh...Are you 'scared' of them?"  
  
Mara's face turned red, "HELL NO I'M NOT AFRAID!! I just uhhh...well I don't see you that much and I uhh..."  
  
"Mara...."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"I don't swing that way."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
"I just talked to Lord Faust." said Tiger as she entered the restaurant.  
  
The other marionettes had gone there to wait for the results of their masters and Lorelei's meeting with Rei. Tiger had waited for Faust. Lime was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"And?" asked Panther.  
  
"The Demon went to the meeting with Rei. Both claim they intend no harm to us." replied Tiger. "And for now Lord Faust, Lorelei, and Otaru will take them at their word."  
  
"So that's that then." replied Bloodberry.  
  
"No it isn't." said Luchs, "Just because our masters trust them, doesn't mean that we should."  
  
"What are you saying Luchs?" asked Cherry.  
  
"One of our primary jobs to protect Lord Faust from danger. I see both the guardian and the demon as a threat to my master, and will treat them as such." Luchs looked at Tiger and Panther. They nodded in agreement.  
  
"I don't know..." said Cherry, "I may not trust them....but declaring them a threat without any proof....."  
  
"Cherry, that Demon is dangerous..." said Bloodberry, "Remember what it did when it showed up! We almost lost!"  
  
"But Master Otaru trusts them....shouldn't we follow the Master's wishes?"  
  
"Otaru wanted to go to Gartlant alone to destroy the computer, remember?" replied Bloodberry, "But we told he we were coming anyway. This is for his own good."  
  
"I don't know......."  
  
"Tell you what Cherry," said Tiger, "We'll just observe them for now...."  
  
"Yeah..." said Panther, "And when they get out of line, we pound them!" She punched her hand for emphasis on the word 'pound'.  
  
Cherry let out a sigh, "Very well. But we shouldn't tell Lime."  
  
"Why not?" asked Bloodberry.  
  
"Because she's scared of them as it is." replied Cherry, "And she might tell Master Otaru. I'm assuming you don't want the Master to find out."  
  
"No." said Luchs, "Neither of our Masters should know, nor Lorelei."  
  
"Speaking of Lime, Where is she?" asked Bloodberry.  
  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Lime sat by the statue of her, Cherry, and Bloodberry outside the Terra 2 Pioneer History museum. The statue had been erected in their honor shortly after the 3 had gone and rescued Lorelei from the Mesopotamia. At the time they were never expected to come back. Lime came here whenever she was upset or needed to think. Right now she was deep in thought.  
  
'Cherry, Bloodberry, Tiger, Panther, Luchs.....they all think Rei is bad. But Otaru trusts her. She was really nice to me when I was talking to her. How can someone be so nice and yet be bad? I'm so confused.'  
  
Lime's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps. A voice was soon followed.  
  
"....see if I ever help her again....tell me to get lost...."  
  
Lime peered around the statue. Walking up towards the museum was the demon, Mara. She no longer wore the demon outfit she had fought in. She now wore a typical Japoness marionette outfit, only it was black. Lime was frozen in fear. She had heard from Bloodberry and Cherry about the battle between the demon and the 7 marionettes and had seen the aftermath. When she had gone to get Rei, she knew the demon would be there, but she was thought to be unconscious. Lime shivered as she remembered being stared at by the Demon. It was as if the Demon was sizing her up to attack. Lime watched as the Demon approached the statue. She quickly hid herself from view, leaning up against the back of the statues base. She listened as the footsteps stopped just on the other side of the statue.  
  
She heard the Demon reading the plaque on the statue. " 'The saviors of Terra 2: Lime, Cherry, Bloodberry. My their sacrifice never be forgotten.' Still think that they are a walking pile of junk."  
  
Hearing the hated word that usually came out of Hanagata's mouth, Lime's temper flared. On instinct, she stood up and faced the speaker. "I'M NOT JUNK!!"  
  
It was then that Lime realized that she was not addressing Hanagata, but the Demon. Mara had jumped in surprise as Lime appeared. She hadn't been expecting anyone to be around. Both locked eyes and stared at each other. After several minutes, Mara finally spoke.  
  
"Umm, aren't you going to do anything..."  
  
"No," replied Lime, "Aren't you?"  
  
"Should I?"  
  
"You're a demon. Shouldn't you be attacking someone?"  
  
Mara looked at Lime confused, "What for?"  
  
"Cuz that's what the other Demons did..."  
  
"I'm not like the other Demons. I follow a different set of rules then they do." Mara took another look at Lime. Suddenly, it came to her. Lime was afraid of HER! "What's your name?"  
  
"I'm Lime."  
  
Mara pointed towards the statue, "Then that's you?"  
  
"Yeah." replied Lime.  
  
"You don't need to worry, I won't hurt you."  
  
"You won't?"  
  
"Just so long as you don't hurt me."  
  
Now it was Lime's turn to look confused, "Why would I do that?"  
  
"You guys attacked me while I was looking for Rei."  
  
"I was with Rei. I wasn't with the others."  
  
"Well in that case, why don't you give me a tour of the museum?"  
  
Lime thought about it, "Alright."  
  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
"What's she doing?" asked Panther.  
  
"She's still sitting there," replied Bloodberry, "working on that communicator thing."  
  
"This is boring."  
  
"Maybe we were wrong about her."  
  
"We've only been watching her for 4 hours."  
  
Bloodberry let out a sigh, "You think Tiger found Lime yet?"  
  
"Don't know." replied Panther, "Don't want to radio then either just in case Rei or Mara can pick up radio."  
  
Bloodberry looked at Panther funny, "I don't see any antennas on them. How are they going to detect radio waves?"  
  
"They were able to arrive in the knick of time somehow. Besides, Lime said Rei was able to detect Mara when she attacked us. They apparently can communicate somehow besides radio."  
  
Bloodberry looked back at Rei through the two-way mirror. "I wonder how Luchs and Cherry are doing."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
"I can't believe you got me to do this." Cherry said quietly.  
  
"What? You look great!" replied Luchs.  
  
Cherry glared at Luchs. Both of them were wearing camouflage outfits, complete with helmets that had grass and other plants sticking off of it. They were currently walking along in the forest outside of Japoness.  
  
"I still don't see why this is necessary to follow Mara in these ridiculous outfits." muttered Cherry.  
  
Luchs turned her head, "Gartlant Military training. Since our target has moved into the woods, we must blend into the surroundings, to avoid detection by Mara and Lime."  
  
"Baiko and Tamasaburo are fairly good at avoiding detection and I don't see them wearing ridiculous outfits. And why is Lime out here with Mara anyway?"  
  
"Shhh." Luchs crouched down. "There they are." She whispered.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
"Mew!"  
  
"Mara, these are Ponta! Aren't they cute."  
  
Mara stared at the four-legged multi-colored creatures, "Uhh, sure what ever you say." 'Ewwww.'  
  
"They're my friends." Lime said happily, "We usually play hide and go seek or tag. Want to play."  
  
"I'll pass." 'I want to throw-up.'  
  
"Their still babies. They get a whole lot bigger when they grow up."  
  
"Oh, how much bigger......" 'These have got to be the most hideous creatures I have ever seen.'  
  
"About 30 to 40 stories tall or more."  
  
Mara stared at Lime in shock, "30 to 40 stories!?!? Are you kidding?"  
  
The ground shook at that moment. It was followed a few seconds later by another shake.  
  
Mara looked around and back at Lime, "What in the name of hell was that?!?!"  
  
"It's their momma." replied Lime. She turned and pointed. "There she is!"  
  
Mara turned to see a huge monster walking towards the Pontas. It looked like Godzilla's twin. Mara looked from the monster to the Pontas and back to the monster. She then turned to Lime. "THAT'S a full grown Ponta!?!"  
  
"Yep. Why?"  
  
Mara turned back to the full-grown Ponta, "She's adorable!!"  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Rei sat back in the chair and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She had been working on the communicator of two days now and she still had a long ways to go.  
  
'How in the heck does Skuld make these things anyway? She makes it look so easy.'  
  
Rei looked back at the mirrored window. Using her divine powers, she could easily see Bloodberry and Panther watching her. Rei let out a sigh. After seeing Lime and the other marionette's reaction to Mara, she expected them to do this. She suspected they were doing this without their masters knowing. She, Asuka, and Sayoko had gathered many reports over the years about the Saber Dolls. She expected this type of response from them. The fact that Bloodberry was there surprised her and made her wonder. Rei reached out with her mind to find Mara.  
  
* Mara? *  
  
Mara's replied immediately. * What? *  
  
* Where are you? *  
  
* Lime and I are out in the forest. You know these Ponta things are really cool once they're full grown. I'm thinking of making one a pet. *  
  
Rei rolled her eyes, * You're not going to take it home. Now take a look around. Do you see anyone besides you, Lime, and the Pontas? *  
  
* Hold on. No I don't see any........ oh shit. *  
  
* Mara? What is it? *  
  
Silence met Rei's question. * Mara? *  
  
Still no reply. Now Rei was getting worried.  
  
* DAMMIT MARA ANSWER ME! *  
  
* I'M HERE. You don't need to yell! *  
  
* What the hell is going on? *  
  
* I can see two marionettes in camouflage. Looks like the one with purple hair and the one with blue hair. *  
  
* Cherry and Luchs... * Rei let out a sigh. * I'll be right there. *  
  
Rei set down the tools and then waved her hand, vanishing in a flash.  
  
In the observation room, Bloodberry and Panther gasped in shock.  
  
"Where the hell did she go!??!" shouted Panther.  
  
"Dammit! I knew this was a bad idea." muttered Bloodberry.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Mara sat with her back to a tree. Her eyes kept darting back to see where the marionettes were. Lime looked at Mara confused.  
  
"What the matter Mara?" she asked.  
  
Mara looked up at Lime. "They're here."  
  
"Who?"  
  
Mara glanced back at the brush. "The other marionettes."  
  
With a pop and a flash, Rei appeared next to Mara, startling Lime. Rei took a quick look around and then turned to Mara.  
  
"Come on Mara, let's go back to the Castle."  
  
Mara nodded and got to her feet. She slowly began walking off. Lime turned and looked at Rei.  
  
"What's wrong with Mara?"  
  
"She's nervous about the other marionettes." Rei said quietly.  
  
"Why?" asked Lime, "She's a powerful demon."  
  
"Not right now. She barely has the power to light a light bulb." Rei looked back up at Mara, "When she's back at full power, I think she'll feel better."  
  
Rei and Lime took off after Mara. As they passed a particularly dense bush, Rei stopped and spoke.  
  
"We're going back to the castle. You want to walk with us or continue to hide in the brush?"  
  
Cherry and Luchs slowly rose out of the bush.   
  
"I uh..." Luchs scratched her head in embarrassment, "I guess we'll go back to the castle."  
  
Rei turned and continued walking. Lime looked at Cherry and Luchs before laughing. "You two look silly." Lime continued to laugh as she followed Rei.  
  
Cherry turned and glared at Luchs. "Gartlant Military Training.....The outfits will help us avoid detection......RRRRRRRR!!" Cherry through her hands up in the air and stormed off towards Japoness, angrily tossing her helmet off into the brush.  
  
Luchs let out a sigh as she watched Cherry stormed off. "I guess I need to brush up on my training."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
2 hours later.  
  
Rei was back working on the communicator, Mara right next to her.  
  
"How much longer are you going to be?" Mara asked.  
  
Rei glanced at Mara, "I'm not Skuld. I can't throw these things together like she can. You want to try?"  
  
"Jeez, I'm sorry alright!" Mara sat quietly for a few minutes. "You know Lime reminds me of someone..."  
  
"Who?" Rei asked, keeping her eyes on her work.  
  
"Belldandy."  
  
Rei turned in her seat and stared at Mara. "What do you mean? Lime is nothing like Belldandy."  
  
"I meant Belldandy before 2nd Impact." Mara sat back, "She was this sweet, innocent Goddess, curious about everything on the mortal world. And she always put a positive light on everything." Mara shook her head, "It makes me ill thinking about it."  
  
"I'm sure it does. Hand me that micro-socket."  
  
Mara handed Rei the tool. "Of course there were times where Belldandy could be as dense as a brick..."  
  
Rei glared at Mara, "That's not a nice thing to say about my boss."  
  
"It's true! Ask Keiichi about the time she put him to sleep when she thought he had a fever! I'm surprised they were even able to have a kid!"  
  
Rei snapped the cover on the communicator shut. "I think I got it."  
  
Mara practically jumped out of her seat. "Well try it damn it! I want to get off this rock!"  
  
Rei tapped a button. A loud hum began to fill the air and the communicator began to glow. Mara peered at the device.  
  
"Is supposed to do that?"  
  
The hum got loud and the device began to smoke. Rei frantically press buttons on it.   
  
"DAMMIT!" Rei shouted as she tossed it to the far side of the room and dove behind a desk, Mara right behind her.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Lorelei was sitting in the library still trying to catch up on the last 300 years of Terra 2 when the entire Castle shuddered. Lorelei looked up.  
  
"What the...?"  
  
A guard ran into the room, "Miss Lorelei! Miss Lorelei! There's been an explosion in the labs!"  
  
Lorelei immediately stood up, "The clones?!"  
  
"No the other side. Where that Goddess or whatever she is was working."  
  
"Was anyone hurt?"  
  
"I don't know." replied the guard. "But one of Maimya's marionettes is down there right now."  
  
Lorelei knew which one. After talking to Lime, both Otaru and Faust had had a long talk with their marionettes, followed by a discussion with Rei and Mara. That lead to the decision that Lime would stay at the castle, as Mara was not as threatened by her.  
  
'Lime.' thought Lorelei, 'Be careful.'  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Lime raced through the shattered smoke filled corridors towards the labs. The same explosion that had destroyed the corridor had also snuffed out the fire as soon as it had started She burst through the Lab door and looked about. The room was completely dark.  
  
"Rei?! Mara?!" she shouted.  
  
"Over here."  
  
Lime hurried towards the voice, her eyes allowing her to see through the darkness, but not very far. Finally she found Rei and Mara. Rei was kneeling on the floor, holding small pieces of electronics.  
  
"What is that?" asked Lime.  
  
"Our one shot of getting home quickly." replied Mara.  
  
Lime looked at Rei and then back to Mara. "What will you do now?"  
  
"Hope that Mara gets back to full power soon." replied Rei quietly, "I sense our problems have only just begun." 


	9. Chapter 8: Good bye, Lorelei

Chapter 8  
  
  
Heaven  
  
3 days later  
  
Keiichi watched as Belldandy paced back and forth in their living.  
  
"Take it easy Bell." He said quietly.  
  
"Why doesn't she report in!" muttered Belldandy as she paced.  
  
"Maybe she is busy." replied Skuld from where she was sitting.  
  
Belldandy stopped pacing to look at her sister. "She has always reported in. For a demon she has been very reliable."  
  
Sayoko came through the front door at that moment carrying a package. "I'm back!"  
  
Belldandy immediately walked towards Sayoko. "And where have you been?"  
  
"You know how hard it is to find this stuff?" asked Sayoko, "I also stopped by the office to check and see if Mara called."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Still nothing." Sayoko turned and started to walk away.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Opps. Sorry Mom." Sayoko handed over the package.  
  
Belldandy opened it and pulled out a box of Pocky. "Thank you Yoko." Belldandy turned and walked off towards the kitchen.  
  
Sayoko looked at her father. "I swear she's addicted to the stuff."  
  
Keiichi just smiled, "She only eats it when she nervous or has something on her mind. You should have seen how many boxes she went through when she was pregnant with you."  
  
Skuld rolled her eyes, "I'm trying to forget that."  
  
Keiichi looked at Skuld, "You weren't the one that had go to buy it at 3 in the morning."  
  
"No, I was the one that kept having to repair Mr. Compactor because her empty boxes kept causing him to jam."  
  
"Mr. Compactor?" asked Sayoko with a grin.  
  
Skuld blushed, "I had to name them something! Besides I was 14!"  
  
"Yeah yeah." said Sayoko with a smile. "Seriously now. What should we do about Rei and Mara."  
  
"Kami-sama still won't let us send down anyone from heaven." said Skuld, "And hell won't help us. Mara was all the help we could expect from them."  
  
"I suppose it's useless to ask if I could go?" asked Keiichi.  
  
Skuld and Sayoko both looked at him.   
  
"Sorry Dad," said Sayoko, "Misato already asked. It's a big no to send someone who's technically 'dead' back down to earth or anywhere else for that matter."  
  
Skuld brought her fist down on the arm of the chair. "We have to do something!"  
  
"Skuld," said Keiichi quietly, "Why exactly did Belldandy ask Mara?"  
  
"Well, the council said we were forbidden to send any more deities or any of the remaining Guardians down there. Since they said nothing about demons, Belldandy felt ok asking her to go."  
  
A smile began to appear on Keiichi's face. "And if I were not 'dead', you might have been able to send me, correct?"  
  
"Yeah, technically we could have."  
  
"Then I know exactly who to send."  
  
Sayoko and Skuld frowned, "Who?" asked Skuld.  
  
"The only one up here who is not god, nor demon, nor Guardian, nor mortal and yet could blend in on Terra 2."  
  
Skuld's eyes widened, "How could I forget! I'm a complete idiot for not thinking about it in the first place."  
  
Sayoko looked at Skuld, "Are you talking about....her?"  
  
Skuld nodded to Sayoko before turning to Keiichi. "Nice one Keiichi. Let's go tell Sis."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
  
"Gamorr."  
  
"Yes my Lord?"  
  
"The time has come. Get ready."  
  
"We will be ready my Lord."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
  
Mara sat at the bar in the restaurant. Several empty glasses were in front of her, yet she was still sober. Rei sat farther down the bar next to Lime, who was busy eating the plate of food before her.  
  
"Mara, how many more are you going to have?" asked Rei.  
  
"Until I'm drunk." Mara muttered.  
  
Rei let out a sigh, "That could take a while...."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Cherry asked as she walked over.  
  
Rei glanced at Cherry. For the last 3 days, Cherry had been slowly warming up to Rei and Mara. The others stayed away from them for the most part.  
  
"Mara has been a heavy drinker for the last 500 years." explained Rei, "She has built up a such a large tolerance to alcohol, that she could drink for 10 hours straight and still not even get a buzz."  
  
"Oh." said Cherry, "Still, it's not healthy to drink that much."  
  
"I don't know. I know from personal experience that some people seem to be able to live off of alcohol."  
  
Lime looked up, "Kinda like Bloodberry and Panther!"  
  
Rei shrugged, "I wouldn't know. They're still avoiding Mara and me."  
  
"Master Otaru and Faust got mad at us for what we did." said Cherry quietly, "They said we shouldn't have been sneaking around like that."  
  
"I already told you, your forgiven. I'd have done the same thing in your position." Rei sighed, "Now if Mara can get her power back to full......everything would be alright."  
  
"Mara's not a full yet?" asked Cherry, "But its been 3 days."  
  
Rei shrugged, "Demons are a bit different from us. Their powers come from a different source. It will be another day or so before her power reaches the level where she'll be able to open a portal to hell."  
  
The entire building shook as the sound of an explosion rumbled through Japoness.  
  
Mara looked up from her drinking. "What the hell was that!?"  
  
Rei closed her eyes and concentrated. She opened them seconds later, a grim look on her face.  
  
"What is it?" asked Cherry.  
  
"Demons."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
30 Demons charged through the streets of Japoness with 100 or so Marionettes following them, leaving destruction in their wake. Draco watched the destruction as he floated along towards the castle. Most of the inhabitants of Japoness were running away from the Demon/Marionette force. A few Japoness soldiers tried to fight back, only to fall. Within 5 minutes, a large force of Japoness Sabers charged into battle. Draco smiled as he watched. Gamorr floated up to him.  
  
"My Lord, We have encountered the Japoness Sabers. Any orders?"  
  
"They will pose no danger to us." Draco said quietly, "Our S2 engine Sabers will make short work of them."  
  
"Of course sir."  
  
"Have our forces head towards the castle. Lorelei and her clones will be dead by nightfall."  
  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Alley, somewhere in Japoness  
  
At the street end, men and marionette scramble about with their possessions, trying to get away from the oncoming invading force. Everyone is so occupied, no one notices the rain barrel in the alley. Like most rain barrels, it is situated under a rain spout, to collect the water as it comes off the roof. Unlike most barrels however, the water is glowing. With a sudden flash of light, a figure burst forth from the barrel, landing with a crash into the alley. The figure sat up and looked around.  
  
"Skuld-sama has to improve that landing." mumbled the figure.  
  
A loud explosion caused the figure to look towards the end of the alley. Seeing the fleeing population of Japoness, the figure immediately got up and ran into the crowd.  
  
'I'd better hurry." The figure thought, 'Doesn't look like I have a lot of time."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Mara and Rei began walking towards the direction of the invaders. They had already changed into their battle outfits. Mara held out her demon sword and Rei held out her staff. Cherry and Lime ran up to them.  
  
"Where are you going?" Cherry asked.  
  
"We have to stop them before they get to the castle." replied Rei.  
  
"But there's only the two of you!" shouted Cherry, "Against all of those demons. We should get the others."  
  
"There is no time for that." said Mara, "We'll delay them as long as we can. You should go tell the others."  
  
"But...."  
  
"No buts." said Rei, "Go."  
  
Cherry turned to head towards the castle. "Come on Lime."  
  
Lime shook her head. "No."  
  
Cherry turned to look at Lime. "What do you mean no?"  
  
"I want to stay and help them!"  
  
"Lime," said Mara quietly, "Go with Cherry."  
  
"But I want to stay and help you."  
  
"You can help us by getting to the castle and warning the others." said Rei.  
  
"Don't worry," said Mara with a smile, "We'll be aright."  
  
Lime look up at Mara. "You promise?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Alright." Lime turned and grabbed Cherry, "Let's go Cherry!" They quickly took off down the street. Rei turned and looked at Mara with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"A promise?"  
  
"Oh leave me alone."  
  
"I didn't think demons made promises," said Rei, "except if they planned to break them later."  
  
"You guys are beginning to rub off on me." replied Mara. She then turned and looked towards the oncoming Demons. "Besides, I don't know if I can keep that promise."  
  
Rei looked over at Mara, "You ready?"  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be." Mara hefted her sword. "Good luck Rei."  
  
"Same to you."  
  
Both then turned and prepared to meet the Demon/Marionette invaders.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
"My Lord, our forces have met little resistance. We should reach the castle soon."  
  
"Very well." Draco turned and looked to the castle in the distance.  
  
Moments later, Gamorr walked up. "My Lord, we have a problem."  
  
Draco looked at Gamorr, "And what problem would that be?"  
  
"You have to see it to believe it my Lord."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Mara and Rei stood in the middle of the street. On either side of them was a large pile of marionette parts. Both were breathing heavily. Several Demons stood a few yards in front of them, but either side had yet to make a move.  
  
"What do you think their waiting for?" asked Rei quietly.  
  
"Don't know." replied Mara, "What ever it is it can't be good."  
  
"Ahhh Mara." came a voice, "It's been ages..."  
  
Rei and Mara turned to see a demon standing on the rooftop of a nearby building.  
  
"Draco.." said Mara, "You're supposed to be dead."  
  
"Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated." said Draco with a smile, "I was able to get out of Unit 01. It took me awhile to recover, but as you can see I am stronger then I have ever been."  
  
"Yeah yeah." said Mara, "What do you want?"  
  
"Simple. The death of every female clone and their template."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Draco smiled, "To cause misery of course. It is the duty of all demons to spread misery and pain to mortals. And this planet offers the perfect chance! Instead of causing misery to one, we can inflect it upon millions!"  
  
"Like hell you will." muttered Rei.  
  
Draco ignored Rei. "Mara, you are reputed as being one of the most vindictive Demons in hell. I am offering you this chance to join us."  
  
Mara stared at Draco. "You....want me...to join you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"In another time, I might have agreed." Mara glared at Draco, "I refuse."  
  
Draco frowned. "Then you leave me no choice." Draco turned to the assembled Demons. "Kill them. My presence is required elsewhere."  
  
Draco then vanished with several other demons. The remaining Demons snarled and began to charge. Rei raised her staff and let loose several blasts. Demons began to fall left and right. With a crash Mara met swords with an oncoming Demon. She quickly dispatched him before moving on to another Demon. Rei also found herself fighting hand to hand against the demons, using her staff to block sword swipes. Both were slowly becoming overwhelmed by the number of Demons.  
  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Lorelei, Faust, and Otaru stood on the balcony towards the top of Japoness castle watching as the sounds of battle approached the castle. One either side of the 3 stood Tiger, Luchs, Panther, and Bloodberry.  
  
"Do we have any idea who they are?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"Preliminary data indicates the presence of the S2 engine Sabers." replied Luchs. "That suggests that they are demons."  
  
"Where are Rei and Mara?" asked Bloodberry. "Aren't they supposed to be helping us?"  
  
"They were with Cherry and Lime," replied Otaru, "who seem to be the only marionettes that Mara trusts." He added, giving Bloodberry a stern look. Bloodberry looked down at the ground. The door to the balcony burst open as Lime and Cherry ran towards Otaru.  
  
"OTARU!/MASTER OTARU!"  
  
Otaru fell over as both of the girls grabbed him. "Lime? Cherry? What's going on? Where's Rei and Mara?"  
  
"They're down there," replied Cherry, "fighting the demons."  
  
"They what?!"  
  
"They wouldn't let us stay." said Lime, "They sent us up here to warn you."  
  
Faust turned to Lorelei, "We should get you out of here. The demons are heading straight towards castle."  
  
"But what about Rei and Mara?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"Lorelei," said Cherry, "Rei and Mara knew what they were doing. They're giving you a chance to get away by delaying the demons."  
  
"Cherry is right." said Otaru. "We have to get you out of here before the demons arrive."  
  
"I'm afraid that is no longer the case." came a new voice.  
  
Everyone turned to see a person floating just off the balcony. Red markings on his face told them what they needed to know. It was a demon.  
  
"You friends sacrifice was in vain.." the demon said quietly, "for the demons have arrived." As if to add an exclamation point, 2 Demons appeared beside the first.  
  
Panther quickly grabbed Lorelei and pushed her back into the castle. "Get her out of here!" She shouted towards the others. She then turned and faced the demons.  
  
"Panther!" shouted Faust. Luchs pushed Faust after Lorelei.  
  
"Forgive me my Lord." Luchs then turned to Tiger, "Get them out of here." Tiger nodded and quickly went into the castle.  
  
Otaru was already being pushed into the Castle by Cherry and Lime. Bloodberry lingered at the door.  
  
"Panther..."  
  
Panther turned and smiled at Bloodberry, "Go keep your master safe. Good bye my friend."  
  
Panther turned back to the Demons, Luchs beside her.  
  
"Any ideas Panther?" Luchs asked.  
  
"I think the straight forward approach works."  
  
"On 3?"  
  
"1."  
  
"2."  
  
"3." Both leapt off the balcony at the demons. The lead demon backed away, allowing his 2 companions to take the brunt of the 2 attacking marionettes. Both marionette and demon fell from the sky towards the ground far below. The leader looked back up and flew towards the balcony door. He crashed through the door and landed in the sitting room. He looked around. Lorelei and the others had already departed. He let out a small sigh.  
  
"Why must they always run?" He snapped his fingers. Instantly 4 demons appeared next to him. "Follow me." He said as he went off in pursuit of his quarry.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Rei and Mara leaned back to back against each other. Both were exhausted, but the demons and marionettes continued to attack. Rei raised her staff and blasted another marionette. She then heard Mara let out a grunt.  
  
"Mara? You alright?"  
  
"They winged me." muttered Mara, "I'll be alright."  
  
"How touching." Rei and Mara looked up to see Gamorr floating nearby. He raised his hands, a ball of energy forming in them. "To bad it must end now!"  
  
Gamorr tossed the energy ball towards the girls. Rei quickly threw up a shield, as did Mara. But Mara, due to her weakened state, was unable to put much power into the shield. Gamorr's energy ball rebounded off of Rei's shield and ripped through Mara's, catching her in the chest. Mara sailed through the air for several yards before crashing into the ground. She did not get back up.  
  
"MARA!" shouted Rei. She started to run towards Mara when something grabbed her leg. She turned to see one of the marionettes she thought she had destroyed holding on to her. She lowered her staff and was about to blast it when she heard a loud voice.  
  
"Not so fast."  
  
Rei looked up just in time to see close up the guard of a demon sword just before it impacted into her face. Darkness soon followed.  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
Otaru, Lorelei, Faust, and the 4 remaining marionettes ran through the corridors, trying to elude their pursuers. As they ran, Lorelei flipped switches hidden on the walls, causing doors to close behind them. Just as they reached an intersection, the ceiling exploded in front of them. As the dust cleared, 4 Demons stood blocking the hallway. The group skidded to a halt.  
  
"This way!" shouted Lorelei, leading the way into a room.  
  
Once everyone was in, Lime and Tiger slammed the doors shut and locked them. A thud echoed in the room as the demons tried to force the door open.  
  
"The door should hold them for bit." said Cherry as she scanned the door." But we should find a way out of here quickly."  
  
Otaru looked about. "Where are we?"  
  
"It's one of the exhibit halls. " said Lorelei, "From what I've been told, the Shogun had displays set up in here during the Castle open house."  
  
"I remember that!" said Lime, "That's the day we met Cherry and Panther!"  
  
Faust seemed to sag at the mention of one of the two marionettes who had stayed behind. Tiger moved next to her master to offer him support.  
  
Otaru turned to Lorelei. "Is there any other way out of here?"  
  
Lorelei turned towards Cherry, "Is there?"  
  
Cherry ran through the files that she had in the castle. She then pointed, "That way, through the reception hall."  
  
The group quickly entered the reception hall. No sooner had they entered then the doors slammed shut behind them. Lime tried to open the doors but found them to now be locked. She said as much to the others.  
  
"I have a bad feeling about this." said Otaru.  
  
"Really, I thought this room was rather nice." Everyone turned to see Draco standing upon the Shogun's platform, "But then again, maybe it's just me."  
  
Lorelei backed as far away from the demon as she could. Otaru and Faust quickly moved to stand just in front of her.  
  
"You'll have to get through us to get her!"  
  
Tiger, Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry moved in front of their masters. "And you'll have to get through us to get to them!"  
  
Draco began to laugh. "And what makes you think you can stand up against me? After all, your friends could barely stand up against my demons," Draco motioned off to the side. 4 demons flashed into existence, between them were the limp forms of Rei and Mara.  
  
"REI!" shouted Lime, "MARA!"  
  
Draco grinned evilly, "A Guardian of Heaven and a Class 0 Demon at my mercy. I love it!"  
  
Lorelei peered out from behind Faust and Otaru. "What do you want?"  
  
"Why, your death of course. As well as the deaths of all of your clones."  
  
Lorelei stared in shock, "But you can't kill the clones! They're needed to make this world a proper one of both male and female. If you kill them...."  
  
"If I kill them, this world will be without hope." replied Draco, "It will fall into despair, which is what I am hoping for!" Draco snapped his fingers, causing 8 more demons to appear. "Get them!"  
  
The demons charged at the group. The marionettes fought hard, but were soon over powered by the demons. Otaru and Faust never had a chance. Soon Lorelei was being dragged towards Draco by two demons. Faust and Otaru were each being held back by two Demons. The remaining two stood near the pile they had made of the marionettes. Sparks spat out every few seconds showing that they still had some power left in them.  
  
"Lorelei!" shouted Otaru.  
  
"Help me!" shouted Lorelei as she struggled to free herself.  
  
"Stop struggling." Muttered one of the demons, "There's no one who can save you now."  
  
Unnoticed by anyone, a pair of red eyes slowly opened and took in the scene before them. The demons finally got Lorelei to the platform and forced her to kneel before Draco. Draco reached out with his hand and forced her to look up at him.  
  
"Such beauty. It's a shame that I must kill you." Draco then smiled, "But then again...it is all for the worst..."  
  
Draco released Lorelei's face and took a few steps back. He then raised his hand and pointed it towards her. A ball of energy began to form.  
  
"Good bye Lorelei."  
  
Draco let the energy ball fly. It went straight towards Lorelei. But just as it was about to hit, a blue shield flashed into existence, blocking the shot.  
  
"WHAT?" Draco whirled about and looked towards Rei. "That was a foolish thing to do." He threw a force bolt at Rei, catching her in the chest. Rei was blasted from the demons grasp and slammed hard against the wall. She then slowly slid down into a heap.  
  
"Now," said Draco, turning back to Lorelei, "where was I? Ah yes, your death."  
  
Draco started to raise his hand when one of the walls to the reception hall exploded, showering everyone with debris. As the smoke cleared, a little girl walked through the hole and looked about.  
  
"Always interruptions." muttered Draco. "What now?"  
  
"I suggest you let them go." said the girl.  
  
"And why would I do that?" growled Draco, "Get that marionette!"  
  
One of the demons, who had been guarding Rei walked towards the girl, a grin on his face. The girl raised her hand and, forming a fist, pointed it right at the approaching demon.  
  
"ROCKET PUNCH!" the girl shouted. Her fist shot off of her arm, trailing a line of wire, before slamming into the demon's face. The rockets continued to fire for a few more seconds before finally shutting down. The girl then reeled back in the fist and reattached it to her wrist. The demon stood motionless for a few more seconds before crashing to the ground. Draco was livid.  
  
"What is wrong with you fools? You can't handle a stupid marionette!"  
  
The girl gave a small smile, "I'm not a marionette."  
  
Draco stared at her, "Wha?"  
  
Rei, who had once again awaken, slowly raised her head and caught sight of the newcomer.  
  
"Sigel?" 


	10. Chapter 9: Return of the Messengers

Chapter 9  
Return of the Messengers  
  
  
  
Lorelei struggled to free herself, but the two demons kept a tight grip on her arms. She looked over and saw both Faust and Otaru also struggling against the demons but to no avail. She glanced to where the girls lay. Sparks spat out from the pile, indicating that they might be active, but were seriously damaged. Her only hope was Rei and Mara, but looked to be worse off then the girls. Finally she was before the demon. She looked away but his hand forced her to look at him.  
  
"Such beauty. It's a shame that I must kill you." The demon said as he smiled, "But then again...it is all for the worst..."  
  
She watched as he raised his hand and pointed it in her direction. A ball of energy formed in his palm.  
  
"Good bye Lorelei."  
  
The demon released the ball. Lorelei could only watch as the ball came right at her. She had just started to feel the heat from the ball when everything before her went blue. There was a brilliant flash as the energy ball struck the field before her. And then, it vanished.  
  
"WHAT?" The demon turned and looked towards Mara and Rei. Lorelei could see Rei glaring at the demon.  
  
"That was a foolish thing to do." said the demon as he threw an energy ball at Rei, catching her in the chest. Lorelei winced as Rei was blasted from the demons grasp and slammed hard against the wall. She then slowly slid down into a heap.  
  
"Now," said demon, turning back to Lorelei, "where was I? Ah yes," an evil smile appeared across his face. "your death."  
  
He had just started to raise his hand when the wall exploded. Lorelei looked away as a cloud of dust moved towards her. She heard the demon, mutter something and then ask "What now?" She then heard a new voice, a female one.  
  
"I suggest you let them go."  
  
Lorelei looked over to see what looked like a young girl of maybe 8 or 9. 'But it can't be, it must be a marionette!'  
  
"And why would I do that?" growled the demon. Then turning to one of his minions he shouted. "Get that marionette!"  
  
Lorelei watched stunned as the marionette raised her fist at the demon and then smiled, before shouting, "ROCKET FIST!"  
  
The marionette's fist shot off of it's arm, catching the demon right in the face. After waiting for the rockets to shut down, the marionette reeled in it's hand and reattached it while the demon collapsed to the ground. Lorelei looked at the demon leader who absolutely furious.  
  
"What is wrong with you fools? You can't handle a stupid marionette!"  
  
The marionette gave a small smile, "I'm not a marionette."  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"Sigel?" Lorelei turned her head to see Rei looking up at the newcomer.  
  
"Hey Rei!" replied Sigel, "You look like hell."  
  
Rei gave a small smile, "Um, Sigel" she pointed towards the demon.  
  
"Oh don't worry about him." replied Sigel, "I came prepared!" She held up a water balloon.  
  
Everyone present just stared at her.  
  
Draco just stared at the object before he began to laugh, the other demons joining in.  
  
Lorelei looked down at the floor, "I'm doomed."  
  
"You expect THAT to hurt me?" laughed Draco, "Your circuits must be fried!"  
  
"I never said it was for you." replied Sigel, "It's for the portal!" She then tossed the balloon towards the middle of the room. It exploded, creating a large puddle in the middle of the room.  
  
"What portal..." was all Draco said before the puddle began to glow.  
  
Otaru, Faust, and Lorelei stared stunned as figures began to emerge from the puddle and float above the floor, 5 in total. 3 of the five had helmets and gray outfits that matched Rei's, while the remaining 2 each had a different helmet design and dress, one in red and white, the other in blue and white. All carried the type of staff that Rei had carried.  
  
"Hello Draco." said the one in red and white, "Did you miss us?"  
  
"Skuld," muttered Draco, "It is a problem I intend to rectify right now. Get them."  
  
All the demons leapt at the assembled goddesses and guardians, even those who were supposed to be watching Lorelei, Otaru, and Faust. Seeing her chance, Lorelei began to move away from Draco. He quickly reached out and grabbed her.  
  
"You're not going anywhere." He said quietly.  
  
"What about us?"  
  
Draco looked up to see Otaru coming at him in a flying kick.  
  
"Please..." Draco caught Otaru in the arm one handed and tossed him against the wall. Faust then ran at him throwing punches. Draco sighed and backhanded Faust, sending him flying across the room into the Marionette pile. "Is that the best you can do?"  
  
"Well we could always try." Draco turned around to the hole that Sigel had blasted. Standing in it looking very pissed off were Luchs and Panther.  
  
"More scrap for the pile." said Draco with a smile.  
  
"Don't forget about us." Draco looked in the other direction to see that all his minions were now laying all over the room. The 3 Guardians and 2 Goddesses glared at him.  
  
"All of them so quickly?" muttered Draco.  
  
"I have a lot of pent up aggression." replied one of the Guardians, the red-headed one.  
  
Draco sighed, "It's so hard to find good help these days."  
  
"Surrender." said Skuld.  
  
"I didn't survive this long without having a back up plan." replied Draco. He tightened his grip on Lorelei. "And she is still part of it." Flames engulfed both him and Lorelei. Draco's loud laugh filled the room. Then the flames vanished, leaving no trace of Draco or Lorelei.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Otaru stared at the spot where Lorelei had once stood. He heard movement beside him and looked over to see Luchs and Panther moving towards the platform.  
  
"She's....she's....." stuttered Panther.  
  
Otaru watched as the one called Skuld pulled off her helmet and waved her hand over the spot that Lorelei last stood. The spot glowed red. "No, she's not. She's been teleported."  
  
"Teleported?" asked Otaru. "Teleported to where?"  
  
"I'm not sure." replied Skuld. She turned as a low groan was heard from one of the demons. She walked over and pulled the demon up from the floor by it's hair. "But we have a way of finding out." Skuld then looked up at the two male Guardians. "Shinji, Touji. See if you can find out where Draco went."  
  
Shinji nodded while Touji smiled and cracked his knuckles. Both grabbed hold of the demon and dragged him out of the room. Otaru paid no attention to them as he walked over to the pile of marionettes. He carefully began to sort out who was who. He was soon joined by Luchs and Panther, who helped him to carefully move each of the fallen marionettes. They soon had each of the marionettes laid out in a row. Otaru sat down near the heads of his girls and sighed. Repairing them was going to take a while.  
  
"Otaru?"  
  
Otaru glanced over to see Lime looking at him. "Lime? How are you?"  
  
A few sparks spat out from Lime before she answered, "I don't feel very good."  
  
"Don't worry Lime," said Otaru, "I'll fix you. You'll be better then ever."  
  
Lime gave Otaru a smile. Her smile then disappeared, "Otaru, Is Lorelei alright?"  
  
Otaru just stared at Lime as he tried to come up with something to say. The sound of someone walking over caused him to look up. Rei slowly limped over to them and knelt down next to Lime.  
  
"Don't worry about Lorelei right now Lime." Rei said quietly, "Let me do that. You just rest."  
  
"You promise?"  
  
Rei smile at Lime, "Of course."  
  
A new voice caused Otaru to look up. Skuld was standing before a communicator, much like the one Rei had been trying to fix. A beam of light came from it, causing a hologram to appear. The hologram was of a woman in blue and white robes, she looked like an older version of the other goddess present in the room. The woman spoke in a strange language. Skuld responded in the same language.  
  
"Who are you?" Faust asked staring at Skuld. Skuld stopped speaking and turned to face Faust. The hologram looked around as if to see who had spoke before turning back to Skuld and apparently asking a question. Skuld responded then turned and spoke so that Faust could understand her.  
  
"I am Skuld, Goddess of the Future. I believe you know Guardian Asuka and Sayoko, Goddess of the Present from your time on the Mesopotamia." Indicating the other two present, who were currently assisting Mara. "And this," nodding to the hologram, "is my immediate superior, Belldandy." The hologram frown slightly at the phrase 'immediate superior.  
  
"Alright," said Faust. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I just informed her of the situation." replied Skuld, "And she in turn will try and track down just where Draco took Lorelei."  
  
"I will contact the SysOp in Hell to assist us." said Belldandy, "However they are still very understaffed."  
  
Skuld let out a sigh, "What else is new?"  
  
"When there is something new I will contact you." replied the Hologram, "In the meantime, you should remain on Terra 2. That is all."  
  
"Bye Sis." said Skuld quietly as the hologram faded. As she picked up the communicator Faust walked up to her.  
  
"That's it? We're just going to sit here and do nothing?"  
  
"We can do nothing for Lorelei until we know where she was taken." replied Skuld. She then looked over to the marionettes, where Rei was kneeling, talking quietly to Lime. "Besides, we must tend to the injured."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Kami-sama sat behind his desk, staring at the kneeling figure before him.  
  
"I assume you have an explanation for your actions?"  
  
Belldandy did not look up. "Yes sir."  
  
Kami-sama waited for several moments. "Well?"  
  
"Rei was found being by several rogue demons. I took it upon myself to order the remaining Guardians to rescue her and the mortals that were also held captive."  
  
"And how did you know where Rei would be? The council forbid anyone from going to Terra 2."  
  
Belldandy continued to stare at the floor, "I asked the demon Mara to go to Terra 2, then later, I sent Sigel. It was on Sigel's report I sent the Guardians."  
  
Kami-sama leaned back, "I think you've been hanging around Urd too long. Using loopholes to get around orders is something I would expect from her, not from you."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Kami-sama rotated his chair and turned to looked out the windows that overlooked the heavens. "Have you found where he took the mortal?"  
  
"No sir. We have communicated with the SysOps of Hell. The said they would 'get back to us.' The demon that was captured has been sent by the guardians to the holding area here for questioning."  
  
"Very well." Kami-sama rotated his chair back to face Belldandy, "Until the matter is resolved, I am placing all the Guardians under your control."  
  
Belldandy nodded, "Yes sir."  
  
"That is all."  
  
Belldandy rose from the floor and bowed before turning and heading for the door.  
  
"Oh and Belldandy..."  
  
Belldandy turned and looked back at Kami-sama, "Yes sir?"  
  
"If anyone asks, I placed the Guardians under your control earlier when you informed me of the situation."  
  
Belldandy stared at Kami-sama, "A lie?" she asked.  
  
"An error." Kami-sama smiled, "It seems my clocks are all a bit slow. Now get going daughter."  
  
Belldandy smiled, "Yes father."  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Lorelei found herself being dragged by Draco through a series of descending caves. Several times they entered large and very warm caverns, so huge that clouds formed near the ceiling. In the caverns, Lorelei could see several dark and gloomy buildings. Draco however seemed to be avoiding them. After nearly 30 minutes of walking, Draco approached a cave wall and waved his hand before it. The wall shivered before moving out of the way. Draco pulled Lorelei into the room beyond, the cave wall closing behind him. Several demons were waiting for them on the other side. When Draco approached, they all bowed to him.  
  
"Lord..." said the closest demon.  
  
"Jerax." Draco motioned the demon to rise. "What is our status?"  
  
"We have produced several hundred additional S2 powered Sabers as you requested," replied Jerax, "but it was not without a cost."  
  
Draco stared at Jerax, "Continue."  
  
"We lost 23 demons to the Queen's Security force." said Jerax.  
  
"And the special project?"  
  
"The doctor wishes to speak with you."  
  
Draco nodded, "Continue to keep an eye on the Security forces. I shall take our 'guest' and see the good doctor."  
  
Jerax bowed, "Yes My Lord."  
  
Draco pulled Lorelei down a hallway. As they rounded a corner, Lorelei stumbled and fell to the ground, causing Draco to lose his grip on her. She quickly got up and started to run from him.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."  
  
Lorelei stopped and looked back at Draco. He had made no move to chase her or even call for anyone to stop her. "Why not?"  
  
"In case you haven't realized it, 'your not in Kansas any more.'" replied Draco. "You're in hell. And if you think running away from me is going to help you, you're wrong. I'm the only thing keeping you alive right now."  
  
"Why should I believe you?"  
  
"Fine. Don't believe me. Go ahead, see how far you get before another demon comes along and either kills you or worse. And believe me, there is always a worst." Draco turned and started to walk away.  
  
"Why would you want to keep me alive?" asked Lorelei, "I thought you wanted to kill me?"  
  
Draco stopped and called back, "You still have a use. As long as you live, the Guardians will try and rescue you." Draco then turned and faced her, "And when they come, I'll be waiting."  
  
Draco turned and continued down the hallway. Lorelei looked about the hallway. The sound of something roaring from the direction they had come from sent chills down her spine. She quickly took off after Draco.  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Rei stood on the balcony of Castle Japoness, leaning against the railing as she looked out over the city. Behind her, the door opened and Sayoko walked out and stood next to Rei. Sayoko looked out over the city before speaking.  
  
"You know you really scared me."  
  
Rei glanced over at her friend, "Oh?"  
  
"The last time I felt that bad was when you blew up Unit 00."  
  
"How do you think I felt. Until Mara should up, I had no idea what happened to any of you." Rei turned and looked back over the city. "Any word yet on Lorelei?"  
  
Sayoko shook her head, "Not yet. Shinji and Touji sent the demon upstairs. Auntie will be calling Mom as soon as she's done fixing the remaining marionettes."  
  
Rei raised an eyebrow, "She's doing what?"  
  
"She's helping Faust and Otaru repair the marionettes." replied Sayoko, "All of them, including the Imperial Guard."  
  
"Considering her history with machines, I don't know if I want to stand near any of them."  
  
Sayoko frowned at Rei, "She hasn't blown up anything in years."  
  
"I'm kidding."  
  
The sound of the balcony door opening caused them both to turn. Lime stepped out and looked over at Rei.  
  
"Lime," said Rei with a smile, "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Ok." replied Lime, nervously looking at Sayoko.  
  
Rei glanced over at Sayoko before looking at Lime, "Lime, this is my friend Sayoko. She won't hurt you."  
  
"Will she yell?"  
  
Rei looked at Sayoko confused, "Yell?"  
  
"Yeah, the other one yelled at me when I said hello and called me a doll."  
  
Sayoko smacked her head, "Damn, I forgot all about that. I should have warned Skuld."  
  
"Its not your fault." said Rei. "After 500 years you'd think she'd finally get over it, especially since she can talk to her mom now."  
  
Lime looked back and forth between the two, "Get over what? Did I do something wrong?"  
  
"It's not your fault Lime." said Rei, "Asuka had some....problems when she was younger. Spending time on a planet full of marionettes just dug up old memories. How are the others?"  
  
"Bloodberry and Tiger are up and around." replied Lime. "Skuld and Otaru are finishing up Cherry and then they're gonna fix Baiko and Tama." Lime was quiet for several moments, a sad look on her face.  
  
"What's wrong Lime?" asked Sayoko.  
  
"Lorelei."  
  
"Don't worry, we'll get her back." said Sayoko, placing her arm around Lime, "In the meantime, how would you like to hear some funny stories about Rei?"  
  
Rei began to pale, "You wouldn't."  
  
Sayoko smiled at Rei before leading Lime back into the castle, "You see, when we were younger, Rei was learning how to use her powers. Well one day, she was practicing teleporting herself by moving from room to room. Unfortunately, Shinji was changing in his room when she popped in by mistake........"  
  
Rei stood alone on the balcony, holding her head in her hands. "She has to be a demon, that would explain everything."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
"Milady."  
  
Daimakaicho Hild, the Queen of Hell, turned and looked at her kneeling minion. "What is it?"  
  
"We have traced the traitors teleport to here." replied the demon He was last seen heading towards the lower levels."  
  
"Contact Yggdrasil and inform them." ordered Hild, "Then send our security forces to apprehend him and those who are with him. Remember, the mortal must not be harmed."  
  
"Yes Milady."  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Dr. Taltamir sat in front of massive computer. Several Hundred years ago, he had been the leader of a team that had reactivated the Mass-produced Evas. He had then moved on to activate the dummy plugs, something which he had been ordered not to by his superior. Afterwards he had been fired and released by the UN. He was not to remain unemployed for long however. Because of his extensive knowledge of the Evas, he was quickly hired by a third world country that wished to build its own Evas. It was not to be however. Shortly after he began work on the project, the UN learned of the plan and leveled the complex, killing everyone there, including Taltamir. When he had awaken, he had found himself here, in hell. After spending 30 years in continual torment, a demon had approached him and offered him a deal: to work for him in building an army. In return he would be restored to life. Taltamir did not hesitate to accept. It was only after he had arrived here that he discovered what he would be doing: restoring to life the most powerful and deadliest creatures ever known to mortal or immortal. Taltamir stood up and walked over to the observation window that looked down into the restoration chamber. 13 tubes were lined up along the wall, inside floated human like figures, yet they were anything but human. Only 13 of the powerful beings had been able to be brought back. Of the other 4, 3 had been completely eradicated. The last one was alive but was no longer as it was.  
  
Taltamir turned as the door to the chamber opened. Draco entered followed by a red haired woman.  
  
"Doctor." said Draco, "How goes your project?"  
  
"They are basically ready sir." replied Dr. Taltamir. "But we will not know until they have awakened."  
  
Draco glared at Taltamir, "You have had 500 years to work on this! They must be flawless!"  
  
"The samples you gave me were scorched, decomposing, crushed, and almost vaporized!" replied Taltamir, "This is the best I could do!"  
  
"They had better. I would hate to found out that my time has been wasted....."  
  
Taltamir gulped as Draco's eyes seemed to glow red. He was saved when another demon entered the chamber.  
  
"My Lord! The Queen's security forces are heading this way!"  
  
Draco glanced at the demon, "Very well. We should warn them off." He then turned back to Taltamir, "Doctor, revive them."  
  
Taltamir stared at Draco stunned, "But....I need to run more tests! I don't know if...."  
  
Draco leaned closer to Taltamir, his eyes bright with flame, "Revive them now!"  
  
Taltamir shrank under the look, "Yes sir." He quickly walked over to the terminal and began to type in a series of commands.  
  
Draco grabbed Lorelei's arm and pulled her closer to the observation window. "Look upon them Lorelei. What you see here is the beginning of the end of Terra 2, and the Heavens."  
  
Lorelei looked down into the chamber as several machines inside began to glow with power. Sparks flew across the room as life-giving power surged through the cylinders, lighting them up so that the figures inside could be seen. At first Lorelei could see no signs of life. Then, inside the closest cylinder, one of the figures, a man with gray hair, began to move its arm. Lorelei stared in shock as the man opened his eyes. She gasped as he turned his red eyes towards her. A smile then crept across his face. With a loud blast, the cylinders exploded, filling the chamber with a bright white light. Lorelei fell back from the window as the entire room began to shake.  
  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
The security forces moved quickly towards the last known location of the traitor Draco. They had just reached the second to last cavern when the ground shook.  
  
"What's going on?" shouted one of the demons.  
  
Before anyone could reply, the ground before them collapsed and a massive surge of power spit forth from the earth. Most of the security force was wiped out in seconds from the energy. Those that remained fled in terror. Before leaving the cavern, one of the demons turned around for one last look. What he saw stunned him. Still coming forth from the ground was a massive energy blast. It was in the shape of a cross.  
  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Otaru, Faust, the Guardians, the Goddesses, and the Marionettes all stood around the hologram of Belldandy.  
  
"...At this time Hell is sending its security forces to apprehend him and rescue Lorelei." said Belldandy.  
  
"So they won't need us?" asked Asuka.  
  
"No." replied Belldandy, " They claim they will have no problems in capturing the demon. So there will be no need to......" Belldandy's voice trailed off and a look of confusion came over her. Alarms could faintly be heard over the link. Suddenly she let out a loud gasp, a gasp which was echoed by the Guardians and Goddesses present. All fell to the ground clutching their heads in pain.  
  
"What is it!" shouted Otaru as he bent down next to Skuld. Skuld tried to answer but was unable to make a sound.  
  
Lime ran over to Rei, "What's wrong Rei? What's happened?"  
  
"The most feared enemy we have known has returned." Everyone turned to the doorway as very serious looking Mara limped into the room.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Faust.  
  
"The Angels have returned."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Author's notes: Yes I'm working on the next chapter, and yes I know I'm moving slow. I've been busy. 


	11. Chapter 10: Angels return

Chapter 10 Angels return  
  
  
  
Alarms blared all over the heavens.  
  
"STATUS!" screamed Peorth.  
  
"Yggdrasil still online!" shouted back Chronos. "No sign of any failure!"  
  
"TURN OFF THAT CURSED ALARM!"  
  
Within seconds the alarm was silenced, much to the relief of all around.  
  
"Scan the system." ordered Peorth, "I want to make sure there is no chance of a crash"  
  
"Yes ma'am." Chronos, Erie and X quickly worked their consoles. "There is no sign of any disturbance."  
  
"Except the ringing in my ears." muttered Urd.  
  
Peorth smiled but continued watching the main screen, "Serves you right for trying to drink Misato under the table."  
  
Urd let the comment slide, "Any sign of any disturbances anywhere?"  
  
"No ma'am." came the reply.  
  
Urd looked at Peorth, "Somehow, the 'Angels' just woke up from the dead, and we have no clue where?"  
  
"Ma'am?" Urd and Peorth looked down to see a Class 2 Goddess with a red phone. "I have a call for you Lady Urd."  
  
Urd picked up the phone, "Urd Goddess 2nd Class."  
  
"Knock off the goddess stuff." came a slightly irritated voice. " You know I hate it."  
  
A frown appeared on Urd's face. "If I knew it was you I wouldn't have said it..Mother."  
  
"Why Urd-chan, are you mad at me? Awwww"  
  
"Is there a reason your calling?"  
  
"Yes. I'm assuming you just detected the presence of the Angels?"  
  
"Detected? Are you kidding?!" Urd shivered at the memory, "What about them?"  
  
"I believe I know where they are."  
  
Urd quickly waved Peorth over and press the speaker button on the phone. "Where are they?"  
  
"A cross explosion just wiped out several of my security forces that were about to apprehend the traitor."  
  
Urd eyes widened, "They're in hell?"  
  
"They are. And I'd appreciate it if you could send someone to get rid of them."  
  
Urd glanced at Peorth who nodded, "Of course we will. We're recalling the Guardians from Terra 2 right now."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
The phone clicked as the connection was broken. Peorth quickly picked up the phone and typed in a new number. "Ma'am. We found them..."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
"A recall?!" shouted Asuka, "Why are they recalling us? We still have a job here!"  
  
"Look," said Skuld, "I told them that. But the Angels take priority here. Need I remind you what happened last time?"  
  
"But what about Lorelei?"  
  
"I haven't forgotten about her, neither has Belldandy. In fact she wishes to speak with the mortals and the marionettes."  
  
Otaru looked up, "What was that?"  
  
Skuld looked over to where Otaru was sitting, "You and the others will be coming with us to heaven."  
  
"When?"  
  
"Right now. Come on, we have to get the others."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
Skuld and Sayoko were busy drawing a massive circle upon the ground in the courtyard just outside the castle. Sigel stood with them given assistance when it was required.. The mortals and the marionettes watched curiously.  
  
"What the heck are they doing?" asked Panther, "I thought we were going to heaven, not drawing doodles."  
  
Mara frowned at the Saber Doll, "They are not doodling. That is a teleportation circle, used to transport large groups."  
  
"But they're Goddesses! Why don't they just teleport us themselves?"  
  
"Because they can't teleport that many people on their own, hence the circle." replied Mara.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Off to the side, Rei, Shinji, Touji, and Asuka were talking.  
  
"So we're going to be fighting the Angels again." said Touji quietly.  
  
"Yeah," replied Asuka, "I thought we got rid of them years ago."  
  
"From what I was told," said Shinji, "the Angels were detected when the demons went to apprehend Draco."  
  
"You think that Draco has something to do with the Angels?"  
  
Shinji nodded, "Its too much of a coincidence that the demon security forces were about to get him when they got caught in the cross explosion." Shinji glanced over at Rei. Rei had not spoken since the Angels had been detected. "What's wrong Rei?"  
  
Rei looked up at the others, "This will be our first time fighting something as powerful as the Angels on our own."  
  
Asuka frowned at Rei, "We defeated the Angels before."  
  
"We had Evas then." replied Rei, "We don't have them now."  
  
"What about Unit 01?" asked Touji, "That still exists doesn't it?"  
  
Rei shook her head, "When the Lance hit the core, it killed Unit 01. All that's left of it is the armor, a skeleton and a shattered core. We can't even begin to regenerate it."  
  
"We defeated Unit 01 on our own." said Shinji, "We can defeat the Angels as well."  
  
"Done!"  
  
Everyone glanced over to Skuld and Sayoko. Before them was an intricate design, a large circle with various lines running through it. Along the edge of several of the lines and along the edge of the circle was writing, or at least, it looked like writing. The Guardian's easily recognized it as the god's language. Outside the large circle were two smaller ones, also containing writing along the edge.  
  
"Alright," said Skuld, "Everyone get into the large circle. Do not disturb any of the lines."  
  
Everyone obey Skuld's orders and entered the circle. Then Skuld and Sayoko stepped into the smaller circles. Both began to chant in a harsh language. Lime leaned over to Rei.  
  
"What are they saying?" she whispered.  
  
"It's part of the circle activation," replied Rei, "Right now they're speaking in old Norse to power up the circle, then they'll go to god's language to actually teleport us."  
  
The circle around them began to glow bright white, startling the others. Skuld and Sayoko then began to speak in a softer, but still not understandable language. The lines flared even brighter, with several beams of light blasting out towards the sky. Skuld and Sayoko were now floating a foot above the ground, their robes being blown about. Then with a flash, the entire group vanished.  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Meanwhile  
  
Dr. Taltamir stepped out into the hallway to where Draco waited patiently with Lorelei.  
  
"Well Doctor?" asked Draco.  
  
"My Lord," said Taltamir, "They are now fully conscious and they each have a functioning S2 core."  
  
"What of their memories?"  
  
"They remember everything." replied Taltamir, "From the day of their creation, to the moment of their death."  
  
"What are they doing right now?"  
  
"They are currently going through the historical archive of the Hell computer system. They wanted to know exactly what happened after they were...defeated."  
  
"Excellent. I think I'll have a word with them." Draco turned and headed towards the door, Lorelei right behind him.  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
"The Lilim have come far since we last set eyes on them." said Tabris quietly.  
  
The 13 Angels sat around a table. A large screen at one end displayed information as it was brought up from a terminal.  
  
"Yet they are still petty and foolish." replied Ramiel, "They still fight amongst them selves."  
  
"Not on the planet of their birth," said Tabris, "The only major conflict among the Lilim has been on the planet known as Terra 2. And that conflict has since been resolved."  
  
"Humph." Zeruel turned away from the screen, "I care not what the Lilim have done. What I seek is revenge against those who prevented us from returning to the father."  
  
"And we will have it." said Sachiel, "For the ones who defeated us still exist."  
  
"WHAT?!" the other Angels stared at Sachiel.  
  
"That cannot be!" shouted Armisael, "Lilim only live for so long! They should have long since turned to dust!"  
  
"You must me the Goddess and mother." said Ramiel, "The Lilim we faced have long since left this world."  
  
"Yes, the Goddess and mother live," replied Sachiel, "But so do those that piloted the alter egos of father." Sachiel pressed a button on the terminal. On the screen came the images of Shinji, Asuka, and Touji. "They, and mother, have become like Kami-sama. Not as powerful as him, but with greater power then any deity in either heaven or hell."  
  
"Perhaps that is why we have been brought back." said Shamshel, "to do what no god or demon can do, defeat them."  
  
"That will be the day." said Zeruel, "The children of Adam fighting for the demons."  
  
"Speaking of which." Tabris turned and looked towards the door, the others following his actions. The door opened, admitting Draco and Lorelei.  
  
"Greetings Friends." Draco said with a smile.  
  
"I see no friends.." said Zeruel, "I see only a Demon and a Lilim, both of which I have reason to hate."  
  
"Now now Zeruel," said Sachiel quietly, "Let us see what they have to say."  
  
"You need not worry about the mortal," said Draco, "Your business is with me alone."  
  
"Then you are the one that we must ask the question," said Sachiel, "Why have you brought us back? And where are our missing brethren?"  
  
"Your missing brethren could not be recovered. Sandalphon was lost to a volcano, Ireul was lost when the MAGI successfully defeated him. The first, Adam, was lost when 3rd Impact failed. And of course, you know where your mother Lilith is." "Draco indicated the screen which now had an image of Rei on it."  
  
"Yet you do not answer our question," said Sachiel, "Why have you brought us back?"  
  
"I represent a group of Demons who wish to return to the ways of old, where Demon and God fought on equal ground. As it stands, we cannot do this. The Guardians are as strong as the greatest of demons. You have been brought back to defeat them."  
  
"And what makes you think we will do this?"  
  
Draco smiled, "For revenge of course. Then after you can retake the earth, or whichever mortal planets you prefer."  
  
Sachiel looked at his brethren, "What you ask cannot be taken lightly. We must confer amongst ourselves."  
  
Draco nodded, "Of course. But time is running short. The Guardians will be coming here in the very near future." Draco indicated Lorelei, "That is her purpose. I await your decision."  
  
Draco then turned and left the room, Lorelei right at his heels.  
  
"How could those be Angels?" she asked, "They look human to me."  
  
Draco glanced at Lorelei as he continued to walk. "I don't remember saying that you could ask questions."  
  
"You said that those were the Angels. Those did not look like the Angels I saw in history class!"  
  
"Appearances can be deceiving," replied Draco, "But those were indeed the Angels."  
  
"But the Angels that attacked earth were several hundred feet tall!"  
  
Draco stopped and looked at Lorelei, "That was the form the attack in. While that size is very useful in attacking their foes, it is not useful for walking through corridors such as this." He indicated the hallway around them. "They were created by Kami-sama for the purpose of driving us from the earth. During that time they could and did roam the corridors of heaven. They did so in the form you see them in now. Believe me, though they lack in size right now, they are anything but powerless."  
  
Draco then continued on his way.  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
Otaru blinked several times, trying to clear the after image of the flash. When his vision finally cleared, he was awed by a breath taking sight. They had arrived on some sort of large balcony, overlooking a large city. Beyond the city borders where rolling fields of green. The sky above was a brilliant blue, with a few clouds here and there. Even Faust and the marionettes were stunned by its beauty.  
  
"Never have I seen such a sight," said Faust, "neither on Terra 2 or on earth."  
  
"I think that's way they call it heaven." said Bloodberry.  
  
Skuld smiled, "This way."  
  
With Skuld, Sayoko, and the Guardians in the lead, they were taken into the building. They entered and found themselves in a large 4 story corridor, with smaller ones leading off towards other areas. Otaru had seen nothing like it. Faust searched his memory, and the only thing her felt that could come close to this was the Vatican in Rome. Paintings and statues lined the corridors. Gods and Goddesses moved quickly about their business, paying no attention to the group. Also along the corridors stood women in full armor, complete with helmets, and carrying staffs. All followed the group with an expression that, while not friendly, it wasn't exactly hateful either. They had just reached one of the intersections when several more guards stepped out. One stepped forward. Unlike the other guards they had seen, she did not wear a helmet.  
  
"Lady Skuld, Lady Sayoko." she said formally, "Your presence along with those of the Guardians is requested by Kami-sama."  
  
"But Mist, I was to take these people to my sister." replied Skuld.  
  
"I am sorry, but my orders are to escort you to Kami-sama."  
  
Skuld frowned, then turned to Sigel, "Sigel, take them to Belldandy's office. Tell her where we are going and that we'll meet her as soon as we get done."  
  
"Yes Skuld-sama." replied Sigel with a bow.  
  
"The rest of you stay with Sigel." said Skuld, "It is very easy to get lost in this building, and the Valkyries don't take kindly to people wondering about."  
  
Skuld, Sayoko, and the Guardians then went off with the Valkyries. Sigel then turned to the group.  
  
"Alright, you heard Skuld-sama. I will lead you to Belldandy-sama's office. Please stay close."  
  
The group began to follow when Cherry let out a gasp. Everyone stopped and looked at her.  
  
"What is it Cherry?" asked Otaru.  
  
"Lime isn't here!" said Cherry.  
  
Everyone looked about. The dark haired marionette was no where to be seen.  
  
"But she was with us on the balcony," said Tiger, "I know I saw her!"  
  
"We have to look for her!" Otaru turned and started to head back the way they came when a hand grabbed his arm. Otaru looked down to see Sigel holding on to him.  
  
"You can't."  
  
"WHY NOT?!" asked Otaru angrily.  
  
"Umm, Otaru," said Bloodberry nervously, "Maybe you should keep it down."  
  
Otaru turned to ask Bloodberry why when he saw the reason. The Valkyries lining the wall had turned and were all staring at him. Otaru gulped and gave a small wave. He then turned back to Sigel and spoke much quieter.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"This complex is huge." replied Sigel, "Without knowing where you're going you could become easily lost for days. We must get to Belldandy-sama's office. She can help us find her."  
  
Otaru was about to protest when Cherry placed a hand on his shoulder. "Listen to her Master Otaru, she's right. Even my sensors can't sort out this place."  
  
Otaru finally gave in, "Alright...let's go."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
What happened to Lime.  
  
Upon arriving, Lime like the others was awed by the beauty off heaven, and like any curious child, she wanted to explore, but she held back. She had been following them into the building when she had noticed a funny looking bird. It looked like a blue bird, but with an antenna looping off its head with a puff ball at the end. The bird flew up and hovered just in front of Lime.  
  
"Ooooo You're pretty!" said Lime.  
  
The bird looked at Lime for a bit more before flying off.  
  
"Hey wait up!"  
  
Lime looked around and spotted a walk way that went around the building in the direction that the bird had gone. She quickly took off in pursuit.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
Skuld, Sayoko, Asuka, Shinji, Touji, and Rei all knelt down on one knee before the desk of Kami-sama. Mara stood quietly towards the back, looking nervously around the office.  
  
"You sent for us my Lord?" said Skuld.  
  
"First," began Kami-sama, "I would like to say 'Welcome back.' to Guardian Rei. Your presence was missed."  
  
"Thank you My Lord." replied Rei.  
  
"Now, as to the current situation. I have talked to Hild. We are in agreement that the Angels must be dealt with. As such that becomes your number one priority."  
  
Rei looked up, "And what of Lorelei?"  
  
The others present glanced at Rei, shocked by her sudden lack of protocol. Kami-sama ignored it.  
  
"Right now Lorelei is a separate issue. The Angels are a clearly a threat to us."  
  
Rei looked as if she was about to argue further, but then decided against it and turned her face to the ground. Kami-sama waited several moments before continuing.  
  
"When you arrive in hell, Hild will assist you in your preparations," said Kami-sama, "As will you Mara?" Mara nodded from where she stood. "I am placing this mission under the command of Guardian Asuka." The others turned their heads and looked at Asuka in surprise. Asuka looked up at Kami- sama questioningly. "I trust in your abilities. That is all."  
  
The Guardian's and Goddess's bowed to Kami-sama then turned to leave. Mara gave one more nervous look around the office before giving Kami-sama a small wave and quickly leaving. Kami-sama let out a sigh and turned his chair to look out the window.  
  
'My first great creations...and my first great failures..'  
  
Kami-sama was about turn back around to his terminal when motion caught his eye in the garden. A dark haired girl in a black body suit and white top was running rather quickly through it. Kami-sama looked curiously at the girl.  
  
'I don't remember any goddess with an outfit like that' he thought. He turned towards his desk and pressed a button. "Hold all my calls. I'm stepping out for a moment."  
  
"Yes sir." Came the reply.  
  
Kami-sama then waved his hand and vanished from his office.  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Tabris sat in a chair, alone in the chamber where the Angels had met, his mind still digesting what had been said.  
  
"I say we fight!" Zeruel had said, "Defeat those who denied us our reuniting with the father."  
  
"I agree." Bardiel said. "Then after, we resume our battle with Kami-sama!"  
  
"Save your thoughts of after until we have accomplished our task." Sachiel said. "Only after the Guardians are defeated shall we plan our next step."  
  
"I wonder," Tabris said, "if we choose the right course."  
  
The other Angels had stared at him.  
  
"What do you mean?" Sachiel asked.  
  
Tabris leaned forward, "Our mother sided with the lilim in our battle. She actively fought against us."  
  
"She was used as a puppet by the lilim." replied Matatriel, "She had no say in the matter."  
  
"Yet she herself was at the core of the 'Third Impact'." said Tabris, "She could have decided the fate of the lilim, yet she gave up that choice to the lilim. Having seen what they have accomplished since, perhaps she was right."  
  
"Your time spent among the lilim has made you soft!" shouted Bardiel, "We must fight!"  
  
"We will fight." said Sachiel, staring at Tabris, "I hope you clouded mind clears when the time comes."  
  
Tabris now leaned back in his chair, looking around the empty room.  
  
'What will I do?' he thought. 'When the time comes, will I fight beside the others?'  
  
The sound of a door opening brought Tabris out of his thoughts. Turning, he saw Areal and Armisael returning to the room.  
  
"We would speak with you." said Areal.  
  
"You remained silent before." replied Tabris, "What makes now different?"  
  
Areal looked over at Armisael before she continued, "I have had time to think and to discuss my thoughts with Armisael."  
  
"And those thoughts are?"  
  
"Perhaps mother was right," said Areal, "we should end our feud with the lilim...and Kami-sama."  
  
Tabris stared at Areal and Armisael, "You both have decided this."  
  
The other Angels nodded.  
  
"And what caused you to go against the others?"  
  
"We 3 have had more contact with the lilim then any of the others, save possibly Leliel." replied Areal, "You spent time living among them, associating with them. I had mental contact with both a lilim and a goddess. Armisael had physical and mental contact with mother before she...eliminated contact through the destruction of Adam's alter ego. Because of this, I feel that this course of action is correct."  
  
"The question is what shall we do now?" asked Armisael.  
  
"We shall talk to Leliel and listen to his views." replied Tabris, "We will decide a course of action after."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
Lime dashed about the garden trying to catch up with the bird. She had almost reach it when she collided with something.  
  
"OW!" came a voice.  
  
Lime fell to the ground along with the person she had run into. Both lay still for several moments before the Lime felt the other person moving about.  
  
"Would you mind getting off me?"  
  
"Sorry!" Lime carefully stood up and looked down to see a red haired girl. The girl looked up at Lime curiously.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, "I've never seen you around here before."  
  
"My name's Lime." replied Lime, "Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Yui," replied the girl. She then looked closer at Lime, noticing the lines around Lime's arm for the vent covers. "What are you?"  
  
"I'm a marionette."  
  
"A marionette!" Yui looked at Lime startled, "How did you get here?"  
  
"I came up with Otaru, Cherry, Bloodberry, Tiger, Luchs..."  
  
Yui shook her head, "No, I don't mean who you came with, I mean how? The only way to get up here is either by your death or if a goddess brought you."  
  
Lime shook her head, "Yep that's what happened. I came here with Rei, Sayoko, Skuld and some others." Lime then looked down at Yui, "You know you look like one of them."  
  
Yui crossed her arms, "I'm daughter of the Guardians Shinji and Asuka. Rei is my Aunt. Now what are you doing out here? You shouldn't be out here if they brought you up. This garden is forbidden to all but those who live here in heaven."  
  
"I didn't mean too." said Lime looking down at the ground, "I saw this cute bird and followed it."  
  
Yui then looked around, "So where are the others?"  
  
Lime kicked at the ground, "I sorta lost them."  
  
"Do you know where they were being taken?"  
  
"Oh Yeah! They were going to see..uhh..ummm," Lime scrunched up her face as she thought, "Uhh.it was.Bell something."  
  
Yui's eyes widened, "Belldandy?"  
  
Lime's face brightened, "YEAH! That was it! Belldandy!"  
  
"I know where her office is." said Yui, pointing, "It's that way."  
  
"Alright!" Lime quickly took off in the direction that Yui had indicated.  
  
"WAIT! LIME STOP!" shouted Yui, jumping off the ground and flying after Lime. Lime however proved to be quicker and vanished from view. Then the sound of a collision reached her ears along with the sound of someone going "Ooooff!" Yui quickly flew to the spot.  
  
"Lime, you shouldn't have.." Yui's eyes widened when she saw who Lime had run into. "K.K.K..ka..ka..ka.." Yui just stared and pointed. "Ka..ka.ka."  
  
Lime stood up and then offered the man a hand, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run into you."  
  
The man looked up at Lime, "That's alright. I should have been paying more attention." He took her hand and was helped onto his feet by Lime.  
  
"Otaru has told me that I should always watch out for the elderly."  
  
"Elderly!?" the man laughed, "My dear, I'm positively ancient!"  
  
"Ka..ka.ka.ka."  
  
Lime and the man looked over at Yui.  
  
"I think she's broken." said Lime, "Can you fix her?"  
  
"Can I fix her?!" the man's smile got bigger. "She's not a marionette like you my dear. I think she's a little bit stunned to see me here."  
  
"Who are you?" asked Lime.  
  
"Well, you've met Sayoko right?" Lime nodded, "I'm her grandfather."  
  
"Oh!" said Lime, "Can I call you Grandpa?"  
  
'Grandpa' smiled, "I like that!. So very few people called that." 'Grandpa' then looked off to the distance, "In fact, only one person calls me Grandpa."  
  
"Ka.ka.ka...ka.ka."  
  
'Grandpa' looked over at Yui, "Oh come now Yui. You can stop that now. Everything is alright." He then looked over at Lime, "So where were you headed so quickly?"  
  
"I was going to Belldandy's office." said Lime, "Otaru is there. Belldandy is gonna help us get Lorelei back!"  
  
"Well then, let's get you to them." replied 'Grandpa', "But let's walk this time, hmmm?"  
  
Lime nodded, "Ok."  
  
"Follow me." 'Grandpa' started walking before he stopped and looked back at Yui. "You can come with us Yui." He then continued walking.  
  
Lime reached over and grabbed Yui's arm, "Come on Yui! Grandpa said you could come!"  
  
Lime started to pull Yui in the direction that 'Grandpa' had gone when Yui grabbed Lime's arm and spun her around.  
  
"Do you have any idea who that was?!?!?"  
  
Lime cocked her head to the side and looked at Yui, "Yeah, that's Grandpa."  
  
"THAT WAS KAMI-SAMA!! YOU CAN'T CALL HIM THAT!!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because..because.." Yui felt her head spinning, ".BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT!"  
  
Lime shrugged, "He said I could." She then turned and started walking. Yui stared at her for several moments before following.  
  
'This is not going to go over well.' She thought.  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Back to the others  
  
Sigel led the group through the building towards their destination. As they walked, Otaru noticed that the décor of the corridor had changed. He mentioned it to Faust. Faust took a moment to look about.  
  
"Your right. Luchs?"  
  
Luchs scanned the corridor, "According to my scans, the artwork in this corridor is from an old northern European religion."  
  
Otaru glanced at Luchs, "How do you know that?"  
  
"I have a lot of data of earth from the Gartlant Computers in my memory bank." replied Luchs.  
  
Sigel turned and entered a corridor that ended at a pair of large doors. Four paintings lined the corridor, two on either side. Cherry looked up at one and let out a gasp. The other turned back and looked at Cherry.  
  
"What is it?" asked Otaru. Cherry pointed at the painting.  
  
The painting had a girl on it of approx. 12 years of age. She wore a white skirt with a red and white lap type coat over it and was leaning against a mallet. Her face is what caught everyone's attention. Blue markings were on each of her cheeks, with a circular blue mark on her forehead. Bloodberry looked at the name plate that had been mounted on the lower part of the frame.  
  
" 'Skuld, Norn Goddess of the Past.' " Bloodberry read aloud. "Isn't that the one the brought us here?"  
  
Panther nodded, "Yeah, but she's a kid here."  
  
"The paintings were made several hundred years ago." said Sigel, "Each of the four Norns are here."  
  
Otaru looked confused, "What's a Norn?"  
  
Luchs supplied the answer, "The Norns come from that old northern European religion. The Norns controlled the fates of all mortals. There was a Norn of the past, the present, and the future."  
  
"Wait, if there's only suppose to be three Norns, How can there be four here?"  
  
Sigel smiled, "All will be revealed shortly."  
  
"Here's the past." said Tiger looking at the painting across from Skuld. This painted had a much older woman in a very sultry pose with long platinum blond hair. A blue triangle was upon her forehead. The plate on the frame named the woman as 'Urd, Norn Goddess of the Past'  
  
"She kind reminds me of Bloodberry." said Cherry.  
  
Bloodberry glared at Cherry, "What is that supposed to mean?!" She looked at Otaru. "Otaru, you don't think. Otaru? Hey Otaru?!"  
  
Cherry looked over to see Otaru staring at the painting. "Master Otaru!"  
  
"Gah!" What?" Otaru looked at the two very unhappy marionettes.  
  
"Hmph." Bloodberry turned and walked towards the next paintings, leaving Otaru and Cherry. Cherry looked as if she was about to cry.  
  
"Cherry I." began Otaru.  
  
Cherry turned and walked to where Bloodberry was staring at the next painting. Otaru let out a sigh before looking at the others present. The Saber Dolls shrugged and followed Cherry and Bloodberry.  
  
"Don't worry," said Faust, "They will forgive you eventually."  
  
Otaru sighed and nodded before moving to the next painting. On it was the other Goddess they had met, Sayoko. Where as the other two paintings backgrounds was of a forest, the background of Sayoko's was a city. One of the buildings had half a red leaf painted on it, but nothing more could be seen of it. The plate stated 'Sayoko, Norn Goddess of the Present'.  
  
Finally they looked at the last painting. All of them were awed by the Goddess pictured. She had long light brown hair and wore blue and white Goddesses robes, much like Sayoko's. What really surprised them was that she looked like a much older Sayoko. Just off to the side and behind her stood a man. Unlike most of the gods they had seen, he had no markings on his face at all. His clothing looked like that of old earth. The plate underneath stated 'Belldandy, Norn Goddess of the Present'.  
  
"THAT is Belldandy?!" asked Cherry.  
  
"Yes," replied Sigel, "This way."  
  
Sigel headed to the doors which opened for her. The group quickly followed her in. The office, while not very large, was impressive. Shelves lined 2 of the walls, filled with books and other items. One wall contained many framed pictures. The last wall behind the desk was a floor to ceiling window, showing the heavens beyond. Sitting patiently at the desk was the person they had seen in the painting just moments ago. Belldandy watched them as they entered, her presence had a calming effect on all present.  
  
"So.." she said quietly, "at last we meet Otaru Maimya, Gerhard Von Faust, and your Marionettes. But where is my sister, daughter, and the guardians?"  
  
"Skuld-sama and the others were called in to see Kami-sama." replied Sigel.  
  
Belldandy nodded, "Very well. Would you mind heading home and telling Keiichi that I will be late today."  
  
Sigel nodded, "Yes Belldandy-sama." She then turned and left the room.  
  
"Now," said Belldandy, "I suppose you are wondering why I had you brought here."  
  
Receiving nods from them, Belldandy continued. "You see, I am in charge of the office that oversees everything related to Terra 2. There is nothing that happens on your planet that I don't know about."  
  
"Rei already told us about how you've been watching us." said Faust, "But why are we here now? And what are we going to do about Lorelei?"  
  
Belldandy looked glanced down at her desk, "I have not forgotten about her. But the current situation is complex.."  
  
"You mean the Angels." said Otaru.  
  
Belldandy nodded, "The Angels are very powerful, almost as strong as Kami- sama himself. We almost lost against them the first time. It was only by making a deal with Lilith that we were able to stop them. The second time man fought and defeated them, again with help from Lilith. We thought that would be the last time we would ever see them."  
  
"Until now." said Luchs, "Can't you make a deal with Lilith again?"  
  
Belldandy shook her head, "No. Lilith is no longer an Angel. She is Rei now, one of the Guardians. The Guardians are our only hope of defeating the.." Belldandy's voice trailed off as she seemed to lose her train of thought. Suddenly loud alarms blared, causing all but Belldandy to jump.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Cherry.  
  
Belldandy ignored them and hit a button on her desk. The hologram of a woman's head soon appeared on it.  
  
"Where are they?" Belldandy asked.  
  
"Yggdrasil Control." replied the hologram.  
  
"Urd, please tell me your kidding."  
  
"I wish I was Bell." replied Urd, "The Valkyries have them surrounded, but you know.."  
  
"...They don't stand a chance." finished Belldandy, "I assume the Guardians are on their way?"  
  
Urd nodded, "As is Kami-sama." Urd's image then leaned closer to Belldandy, "They have made a request."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
"To join us."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
Author's note: As I was writing this chapter, something happened. I was halfway through writing it, when Columbia and its crew flew from this world and on to the next. This event showed us once again that space travel is very dangerous, and should never be thought of as routine. These people flew into space with the hope of a better future for all of us. For two weeks, they saw us all from a view that only a select few have seen in person, the world as it is, with no borders separating countries or ethnicities. They came from different backgrounds and countries, yet all were united together in a common cause, the peaceful exploration space.  
  
This accident has been a set back in that cause, yet it will go on. For that is the best way to honor their sacrifice, to continue their work.  
  
May God have mercy on them and welcome them home with his open arms. 


	12. Chapter 11: Conversing with Angels

Chapter 11  
  
Conversing with Angels  
  
Yggdrasil Control  
  
Normally the Yggdrasil control room is full of activity as gods and goddesses go about tending to the world computer. There were always discussions going on, wither discussing some new line of code or the latest bug, to discussions on what one goddess got from the mall. Today was different though. If a pin was dropped, all present would hear it. All activities in Yggdrasil Control had ground to a halt in light of the current situation. All had their eyes on the gray haired visitors, 2 males and a female. Urd and Peorth looked down at them from the SysOps chair. For the most part, the visitors paid no mind to the attention that they had drawn, attention in the form of 70 well armed Valkyries. They had simply stated their request and then waited. The doors to Yggdrasil then burst open as a fully armored Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Touji, Skuld, Mara, and Sayoko walked in.  
  
"What's going on?" shouted Asuka. "We were told to come..." Asuka's voice trailed off as she took in the visitors. She then tightened her grip on her staff. "Never mind.I see the reason."  
  
The female shifted slightly under Asuka's gaze. One of the males stepped forward, causing all the Valkyries to raise their staffs.  
  
"It has been many years Second Child." the man said, his red eyes staring at Asuka.  
  
"I remember you." said Shinji quietly, "You were the 17th Angel. Kaoru Nagisa."  
  
The Angel smiled. "Yes Third Child, that was the name I went by when I infiltrated NERV. But my true name is Tabris."  
  
The doors opened again allowing Belldandy to enter, followed by Faust, Otaru, and the Marionettes. Belldandy motioned for them to wait as she continued towards the Angels. The Valkyries parted as she walked past them, finally stopping 5 feet from Tabris. At the sight of Belldandy, the female Angel took several steps back. Tabris glanced at her briefly before turning back to Belldandy.  
  
"I suppose you have been informed of our request?" he asked.  
  
"I have." replied Belldandy, "But I would like to hear your reasons."  
  
"As would I." Everyone turned to see Kami-sama entering the room, followed by Lime and Yui. Kami-sama walked straight up to Tabris. "What brings you back here Tabris?"  
  
Tabris didn't back down from Kami-sama. "As I told the SysOp, we wish to rejoin the heavens."  
  
Kami-sama crossed his arms, "And why should we accept you back? I seem to recall you trying to take over heaven once and try to destroy the mortals twice."  
  
"I cannot change the past," replied Tabris, "But believe me when I say that we..regret the actions we took long ago. By rejoining we intend to try to.make amends."  
  
Kami-sama stared for a long time at Tabris and the other Angels, his mind searching the Angel's minds, trying to find anything to show that they were lying, that this was a rouse to get into the heavens before they once again betrayed it.  
  
He found nothing but truth.  
  
Kami-sama turned and looked at the assembled Valkyries. "You are dismissed."  
  
Several Valkyries gasped, as did many of the gods and goddesses present. "Sir?"  
  
"You heard me." replied Kami-sama, "You are dismissed. Return to your regular duties."  
  
"Yes sir." the assembled Valkyries quickly dispersed.  
  
Kami-sama then turned to Belldandy, "I want to see you in my office now." He then looked over at the Guardians, "Asuka, continue to plan your operation." His gaze then fell onto the Angels. "Please, come with me."  
  
The Angels followed Kami-sama out of the control room with the female Angel giving Belldandy and Asuka as much room as possible. Belldandy turned to Asuka. "Have Yui take them to my house. I will be there as soon as I'm finished here." Asuka nodded and watched as Belldandy left.  
  
"Yui?"  
  
Yui quickly walked over to her mother, "Yes Mom?"  
  
"You heard what she said?"  
  
"Yes Mom."  
  
"Then get to it."  
  
Yui nodded and walked over to Otaru, Faust and the marionettes. They then left in a large group. Asuka then turned and looked at the other Guardians.  
  
"Alright, we have a mission to plan."  
  
"What about us?" asked Skuld, Sayoko right next to her.  
  
"I don't think your help will be required Skuld." said Asuka.  
  
"Auntie maybe you should follow Yui and help Dad with the visitors." said Sayoko.  
  
Asuka sent a silent thought to each of the Guardians, all agreed and then looked to her. Asuka closed her eyes and silently counted to 10 before turning to Sayoko. "Sayoko, maybe you should go with your Aunt."  
  
Sayoko turned and looked at Asuka stunned. "What did you say?"  
  
"Go home."  
  
"WHY?!" Sayoko shouted.  
  
Asuka winced before she continued. "Sayoko, your not as strong as us. Even Yui has more power then you and she's only 12. These are the Angels we'll be fighting."  
  
"That's why I should be with you!" replied Sayoko. She looked to the other Guardians for support. Touji and Shinji looked down at the ground, refusing to meet her face. Sayoko then looked at Rei. "Rei?"  
  
"I'm sorry Sayoko." Rei said quietly, "But Asuka is right."  
  
Sayoko's face took on the look of one who had been betrayed. Her face then went neutral.  
  
"Very well." She said, "You do what you feel you have to, just like I will."  
  
Sayoko then turned and stormed out of the building.  
  
Rei turned and looked at Skuld. "You think we made the right choice?"  
  
Skuld shrugged, "It's not my decision. But I do agree, you four are the most powerful here. She just wants to help."  
  
"I wish she could help us." said Asuka. "We should go and make our plans." Asuka turned and looked to Mara. "Come on. You know hell better then any of us. You should be there."  
  
Mara nodded. Then she and the Guardians left. Skuld found herself alone with her thoughts until she was interrupted.  
  
"You know..there is a way that Sayoko could help them."  
  
Skuld turned to see Urd standing behind her. "How? They're right. She doesn't have the power to fight an Angel. None of us do."  
  
Urd shook her head, "You forget, Sayoko DID defeat 2 Angels, without her powers."  
  
Skuld looked confused, "I don't remember her doing.." suddenly Skuld's eyes widened in recognition. "You don't mean..?" Urd nodded. "But.they're all long gone!!"  
  
Urd smiled, "One remains. Come on, let's talk to Father and then I'll take you to it."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
3 hours later.  
  
"Lime, where were you?" asked Otaru.  
  
"I'm sorry Otaru." said Lime, who was sitting next to Otaru, "I got distracted by a bird and followed it. Then I got to meet Yui and Grandpa!"  
  
They, along with the others from Terra 2, were currently sitting inside the home of Keiichi and Belldandy. The fairly large home was located in the Norse section of heaven, but on the edge, allowing the house to have a rather large garden surrounding it. Keiichi, was moving about with the help of Yui, Sigel, and a robot named Banpei offering refreshments. Cherry and Bloodberry were moving along the wall, looking at the pictures and memorabilia assembled there.  
  
Otaru looked at Lime confused, "You mean the Shogun?"  
  
"No! I mean Grandpa!"  
  
Cherry glanced over at Lime, "You found the Shogun here?"  
  
Lime looked at Otaru and Cherry frustrated, "No! I mean Grandpa!"  
  
Bloodberry looked up at Yui who had just walked back into the room, "Do you know who she's calling 'Grandpa'?"  
  
Yui let out a sigh, "She crashed into Kami-sama in the garden and has called him that ever since."  
  
Bloodberry stopped dead in her tracks. "Lime, you are calling Kami-sama, the Almighty, Lord of the Heavens and Universe 'GRANDPA'?!?"  
  
"He said I could!" replied Lime.  
  
"But he's Kami-sama!"  
  
"Just let it go." said Otaru, "If he doesn't mind then it must be alright."  
  
"Who wouldn't mind?" asked Keiichi as he entered the room.  
  
"Lime calling Kami-sama Grandpa."  
  
Keiichi shrugged, "There's only one person I know who calls him Grandpa and that is Sayoko. First time she called him that he was actually seen dancing in the streets."  
  
Faust looked up at Keiichi, "He was that happy?"  
  
"Well," said Keiichi, "you have to remember that day in and day out he's called either Kami-sama, Lord, Boss, among other things. The only ones that call him Father that I know of are Belldandy and her sisters. I suppose being called Grandpa is a refreshing change."  
  
The front door opened then.  
  
"I'm home." came Belldandy's tired voice. She walked in and dropped into an empty seat.  
  
Keiichi came out and handed Belldandy a cup of tea. "How did it go?" he asked.  
  
Belldandy sipped the tea, "The Angels are telling the truth. They truly wish to help us. There even is another Angel that stayed behind to spy for us. Tabris left afterwards to assist the Guardians." Belldandy glanced over at Yui. "That reminds me, your staying here tonight. Your parents are going with Mara and Tabris down to Hell to talk to Hild." Yui nodded.  
  
"So what are they going to do about Lorelei?" asked Faust. The others turned their attention to Belldandy, waiting for her answer.  
  
Belldandy closed her eyes and sighed, "Rescuing Lorelei is now a secondary concern. The Angels that are working with the demons are our number one priority."  
  
"But what about Lorelei?!" asked Bloodberry, "We're just going to leave her there?!"  
  
"I don't like it anymore then you," said Belldandy, "but all we can do right now is hope for the best."  
  
"This sucks!" shouted Bloodberry, pounding her fist on the wall. The house trembled under her blow, causing several pictures to jump off the wall and fall towards the floor. Cherry and Tiger started to leap to catch the pictures when a white blur flew past them, collecting the falling pictures. Everyone followed the blur to see a winged girl floating off to the side, the pictures in her arms.  
  
"What is that?" asked Otaru, pointing to the girl. The girl frowned at Otaru.  
  
"My angel," said Belldandy, "Blessed Bell."  
  
"Like the ones that your so worried about?" asked Otaru.  
  
"No. Those were given the name 'Angels' by mortals. Blessed Bell is a true angel."  
  
Lime walked closer to Blessed Bell. "You're pretty." She said.  
  
Blessed Bell positively beamed with joy at Lime. She then flew over and replaced the pictures before vanishing into Belldandy's back. Luchs looked over at Keiichi and Yui.  
  
"You two have an Angel as well?"  
  
Keiichi shook his head, "No. I'm not even a god. I can't have an angel."  
  
"Guardians don't get angels," said Yui, "I don't know why but we don't."  
  
"Does Sayoko and Skuld have angels?" asked Lime.  
  
Belldandy nodded, "Of course."  
  
"How come we never saw them?" said Tiger.  
  
"They probably didn't need to use them." replied Belldandy, "Besides, they tend to draw attention to us when we would least want it."  
  
"Where are Sayoko and Skuld?" asked Lime. "Don't they live here?"  
  
"Yes they live here. Urd thought of something that might help the guardians and went with Skuld to talk to Kami-sama about it." Belldandy shrugged, "I don't know what though."  
  
"Where's Sayoko?"  
  
"I don't know." replied Belldandy. "I haven't seen her since the Angel's arrived."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Sayoko had gone straight towards the Goddess Relief Office, where her mother had once worked long ago. She had then walked down a hallway and exited the building. Continuing along the path, she reached a point where the path vanished at a ledge. Sayoko had stepped to the edge and looked down. Far below, faint ripples of water could be seen. Sayoko had then stepped off and floated downward, the scenery of heaven floating up past her as entered the darkness. She set down on the surface of the water and stopped, her feet barely making a ripple. There she had stood for 3 hours, lost in her thoughts, floating just over the surface of the lake. She had reluctantly come to the conclusion that Asuka had been right. She could do nothing against the Angels. But that didn't make it any easier for her. She was preparing to leave when she realized she was not alone. Sayoko whirled about to see another figure on the lakes surface behind her. The female Angel. Sayoko looked about, but saw no sign of any Valkyrie or any of the Guardians. The Angel had her eyes shut and seemed calm. Sayoko slowly approached the Angel.  
  
"What brings you here?" asked Sayoko, trying to keep her voice neutral.  
  
"I remembered this place from long ago," replied the Angel, her eyes still closed, "It's very peaceful here, and allows one to reflect."  
  
"Shouldn't you be with the others?"  
  
"Tabris knows all that is needed to help the Guardian's." The Angel hesitated before continuing, "Armisael's and my presence is not required." The Angel opened her eyes and started to turn towards Sayoko, "It has been so long since I was here last that..." The Angel's voice trailed off as her eyes met Sayoko. "Fifth Child!" The Angel began to float away from Sayoko. Sayoko looked at the Angel confused.  
  
"Have I met you before?"  
  
"I am Arael." said the Angel. Seeing that Sayoko was still confused, the Angel added nervously, "....I was what the lilim referred to as the '15th Angel'."  
  
Suddenly it clicked. Sayoko now realized why this Angel had been acting strange around Asuka, her mother, and herself when they had seen her in the control room.  
  
"You're afraid of me." Sayoko said.  
  
Arael froze. She then slowly turned to look at Sayoko, her eyes opened wide.  
  
"Why?" asked Sayoko, "Shouldn't be the other way around?"  
  
"Because I was in contact with you and the second," said Areal slowly, "when I was..defeated, the resulting break of contact caused me to retain all of those memories that you were experiencing."  
  
Sayoko went through the events that surrounded the 15th's Attack in her mind.  
  
"You forced us to relive the worst moments of our lives." said Sayoko, her voice shaking, "And you're saying that when you were defeated, you got stuck with them?"  
  
Arael nodded.  
  
Sayoko looked away from the Angel.  
  
"That is why I could not work with the Second, and was trying to avoid you, and your mother." said Arael, "I spent 500 years in limbo experiencing your memories over and over. When I was brought back, the memories stayed with me. Seeing you, the Second, and your mother.I."  
  
"You feel guilty." finished Sayoko quietly.  
  
"I know I do not deserve your forgiveness. There is nothing I can do to undo what I have done." Arael turned and looked at Sayoko, "But I can try."  
  
Sayoko remained quiet for several moments before speaking.  
  
"If I had been like Asuka before you attacked back in 2015, I would say that there is nothing you can do to make this up to us, that you don't deserve to be forgiven."  
  
Arael looked downward. "I understand. I should be going..." She started to leave.  
  
"I'm not finished." said Sayoko quietly. Arael froze and turned to look back at Sayoko.  
  
Sayoko continued, "I said if I had been like Asuka, but I'm not. I was raised differently. That is why I can forgive you."  
  
Arael stared wide-eyed at Sayoko, "You.you.forgive me?"  
  
"I'm a goddess." said Sayoko, "It is my place to forgive those who seek it." Sayoko then smiled, "You had it easy this time. Asuka will not be as forgiving."  
  
"I understand." said Arael.  
  
* Sayoko *  
  
Sayoko looked upwards before replying. * Yes Auntie Urd? *  
  
* Get over to the Yggdrasil Building, Sublevel 40. *  
  
Sayoko frowned. 'Sublevel 40? What the ..' * What are you up to? *  
  
* Skuld and I convinced Kami-sama of a way to help the Guardians. But we want your opinion on it. *  
  
* Alright, I'm on my way. *  
  
Sayoko started to leave when she remembered Arael. The Angel was still there, now looking off away from Sayoko.  
  
"What do you plan on doing?" asked Sayoko.  
  
Arael turned back to the goddess. "I was just going to stay here. It is very nice and peaceful."  
  
".and it's also secluded." added Sayoko, "You realize you can't avoid everyone forever." Sayoko then made a decision. "Come with me."  
  
Arael looked up, "No. I shouldn't."  
  
Sayoko floated over to Arael, "You wanted to rejoin the heavens. That means you have to live and work with the rest of us, even the Guardians. This is your chance to start fresh. Will you come with me?"  
  
Arael hesitated for several moments. Finally she decided.  
  
"Alright."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
Mara, Hild, the Guardians, and Tabris stood around a large display table in the control room for Hell's computer. Hild was staring across the display at Tabris.  
  
"Remind me again why that," she pointed at Tabris, " is here."  
  
"He is here because he knows exactly where the other Angels are." said Asuka. She then looked over at Tabris, "But I would like to know why the other 2 didn't come down with us."  
  
Tabris shrugged, "Both would feel uncomfortable working in this environment."  
  
"With the demons?" asked Shinji.  
  
"No." Tabris looked up, "With the First and Second."  
  
Asuka and Rei looked confused.  
  
"Why wouldn't they want to work with us?" asked Asuka.  
  
Tabris looked back down at the display. "They...faced off against each of you."  
  
Asuka and Rei glanced at each other  
  
"Which ones were they?" asked Rei quietly.  
  
"Does it matter?" asked Tabris, "There will be time for that later." He turned and pointed to a spot on the display. "The Demons you seek are located here."  
  
Hild's eyes narrowed, "That's at the bottom of hell."  
  
Shinji looked up at Hild, "What's kept down there?"  
  
"Only the most heinous of mortals." replied Hild, "The further down into hell you go, the worse the examples of humanity you will find. Only fitting that he would set up down there."  
  
"How do we get there?" asked Asuka.  
  
Hild brought up another display, "Each level of Hell is connected to another. You can reach each level by either the caves that link each section, or by the shaft that goes straight down from top to bottom."  
  
"Let's see it."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
"So..It is true." said Sachiel, quietly, "Once again, we are betrayed."  
  
He and 4 of the other Angels stood around a display. On the display, they watched as Tabris walked beside the Guardians.  
  
"Traitorous fool." said Bardiel, "He must pay."  
  
"He is not the only one." The Angels looked up as Israfel entered, "Arael and Armisael are missing as well."  
  
"This does pose a problem to us." The Angels turned towards Draco, who had remained quiet until this point. "We might be able to fight the Guardians and win. But with your brethren on their side..."  
  
"Then we must distract them." said Sachiel, "You said they would come here after the lilim female, yet they now seem to hurry due to our presence."  
  
Draco nodded, "That seems to be the case. What do you suggest?"  
  
"The lilim female," said Sachiel, "Where is she from?"  
  
"The Planet is known as Terra 2."  
  
"Then Terra 2 is where we shall strike."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
Sayoko and Arael rounded a corner and spotted Urd and Skuld standing in front of a large door. Both Urd and Skuld frowned slightly when they saw the Angel with Sayoko.  
  
"Why is she here?" asked Urd.  
  
"She is here because I asked her to be." said Sayoko.  
  
"I thought you would keep better company."  
  
Sayoko crossed her arms, "I remember someone saying the same thing about Rei. Yet she and I became very good friends and still are."  
  
Urd was about to reply, when Skuld cut her off, "Sayoko, it is of course your choice who you associate with." Skuld then looked at Arael, "You must forgive my sister, she is still adjusting to your presence."  
  
Arael only nodded. Sayoko then turned towards the door.  
  
"Alright. What can we do to help the Guardians and why are we meeting here?"  
  
Urd turned and waved her hand, opening the giant door. "See for yourself."  
  
Sayoko stepped forward, followed by Arael. Both found themselves on a large catwalk, overlooking a large dark room. A sudden sense of déjà vu hit her as she looked over the railing, trying to see the object hidden by the darkness. Skuld stepped onto the catwalk, followed shortly there after by Urd.  
  
"Where is it?" asked Skuld.  
  
Urd walked over to a panel by the door. "Hold on."  
  
All four squinted as the lights came on. When their vision cleared, the object was revealed, a large figure in silver and red armor. Arael let out a gasp of surprise and fear and took several steps back. Sayoko just stared in shock, coming face to face with something she hadn't seen in over 500 years.  
  
"How?"  
  
"It's been regenerating," replied Urd, "ever since we brought it here."  
  
"Does it work?"  
  
"If it doesn't, we know who can make it work."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
  
  
Terra 2  
  
The people of Gartlant went about their lives as if nothing was wrong. It had been a year since Lord Faust had been overthrown. Life was slowly improving for the people. They were eating better, living better, and were being treated better. The homeless now had homes, and jobless had jobs, everything was moving smoothly.  
  
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. A bump lay in the road to prosperity for Gartlant.  
  
A bump that was in the shape of an enormous floating blue diamond and a massive figure with sharp ribbon arms.  
  
The Angels had arrived on Terra 2. 


	13. Chapter 12: Arael’s Sorrow

Chapter 12 Arael's Sorrow  
The large diamond moved slowly over the city. Several small towers along the outer edge of the city opened up to reveal large guns. Each tracked the diamond and began firing as soon as it was in range. Salvo after salvo was sent hurtling towards the floating fortress, only to be blocked by an orange hexagonal field that appeared along the side of the diamond. Lights flickered along the edge of the diamond coming together at one of the points. From that point a beam of light shot forth. It slammed through several buildings before hitting a small power distribution center. The center exploded in a massive fireball, while the buildings the beam passed through melted down to slag. Several of the guns went silent as power to them was lost. The other intruder, a massive figure with ribbon arms moved forward over the city. Several of the larger building tops opened up to reveal massive arms. These arms began to draw plasma from the skies above. The arms took on a reddish glow as the plasma built up, before it was discharged at the target. Once again, the hexagonal field appeared, blocking the plasma. The figure turned towards the offending towers, its eyes glowing. Suddenly massive cross shape explosions ripped apart the buildings that had held the plasma collectors. Several more cross shaped explosions ripped through other areas of the city as well. The two intruders continued their rain of destruction all over the city. And then they froze.  
  
"Wouldn't that have been a feat had they been able to do that during the attack." said Faust quietly. He, Otaru, the Saber Dolls, and Bloodberry sat in the conference room inside Japoness Castle. They had arrived back at the castle at first word of the attack. Now they watched the video from the attack while they waited for help from the heavens to arrive.  
  
"Yes it would have been." replied Otaru, "How many were lost?"  
  
"A quarter of the population was wiped out." said Faust, "Most of the rest survived because my predecessors and I had built Gartlant to withstand any attack."  
  
"You overbuilt the buildings." said Bloodberry.  
  
Faust nodded, "They were built to withstand any weapon that could be conceived of." He looked back toward the screen. "Unfortunately, we didn't have them in mind."  
  
"Nobody did."  
  
Everyone turned as two people entered the room. One was Guardian Rei, the other Guardian Touji.  
  
"The Angels were supposed to be dead along time ago." said Rei, "We were lucky. Any other city might have been leveled."  
  
"You call the loss of a quarter of the population of Gartlant being 'lucky'?" asked Tiger.  
  
Rei turned her gaze to Tiger, "When you consider the construction methods used in the other countries, yes." Rei turned and looked at Faust, "You have my sympathy, but we must prepare Japoness for an attack."  
  
"Most of the defense towers are now manned." said Luchs, "However, they will be little use against the Angels."  
  
"Anything they can do to slow down the Angels will be helpful." said Rei, "Heaven is going to be sending additional help, but until it arrives it will be only Touji and myself."  
  
"When can we expect it?" asked Otaru.  
  
"As soon as possible." replied Rei, "We want to be ready when the Angels come here."  
  
The others looked at each other confused before looking back at Rei and Touji.  
  
"What makes you think they're coming here?" asked Bloodberry.  
  
"Belldandy." replied Rei, "She has a sixth sense about these things. They will come here, and we will be waiting."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"Tell me again why we're here?" asked Misato Kaji as she, Ritsuko Akagi, Maya Ibuki, and Yui Ikari were led by Urd through the corridors of the Yggdrasil Building.  
  
"You're here because we require your assistance with something of great importance." replied Urd.  
  
Misato leaned over and whispered to Ritsuko, "What is so important that it requires all four of us?"  
  
Ritsuko shrugged, "I assume it involves something that we each have knowledge of."  
  
Misato thought for a few moments, "What could that be?"  
  
"Through a process of elimination. I can only assume it has something to do with Project E and the Evas."  
  
"But Sempai," said Maya, "the Evas were all destroyed years ago. There are none left."  
  
"That is where you are wrong." said Urd, who had stopped in front of a large door. She waved her hand by the doors, causing them to open. The four woman stared in shock at what was revealed behind the doors.  
  
"But..but..." stuttered Maya, "That was destroyed during the attempted Third Impact! It can't be..."  
  
"Evangelion Unit 04." said Skuld, stepping towards them. Following behind her was a gray haired girl with red eyes. Ritsuko, Maya , and Misato stared at the girl for several seconds, noting that the girl acted similar to what Rei had before Sayoko's arrival in Tokyo-3. They then turned there attention back to Skuld who had continued speaking. "After the battle, only the upper chest, part of the right arm, and the core remained. The core was partially damaged, but was for the most part intact. We retrieved Belldandy and Keiichi from it and then placed it in storage. We forgot about it for the most part. It seems the core still had life in it as the Eva seems to have fully regenerated on its own."  
  
"What do you need us for?" asked Yui.  
  
Skuld glanced at Urd before looking back at the 4 mortals. "You four are the only Eva experts that we trust enough to come in this building. We need to make sure this Eva is combat ready."  
  
"Combat ready?" asked Misato, "What for? The rogue demons can't stand against the Guardians no matter how many of them there are, and the Angels are long gone."  
  
The gray hair girl flinched slightly at the word 'Angel'. Skuld took notice of this before speaking. "Actually, that is not quite true."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"The rogue demons have brought the Angels back." said Skuld, "The 5th and the 14th Angels attacked the city-state of Gartlant on Terra 2."  
  
The mortals stared stunned at Skuld.  
  
"How could they bring them back?" asked Ritsuko, "It's not possible!"  
  
"Apparently, they recovered genetic material of 13 of the Angels and cloned them."  
  
"So that's why you need the Eva," said Misato, "to eliminate those..Angels." Misato spat out the last word as if it was a curse. "Do Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Touji know?"  
  
"In a way," said Urd, "4 of the Angels have defected to our side, one remains with the demons to spy for us, another is currently working with Asuka and Shinji, and the other is going to Terra 2 to help Rei and Touji."  
  
"What about the fourth?" asked Yui, "You said four Angels defected."  
  
Skuld motioned back to the gray haired girl who stepped forward. "The fourth is helping us here."  
  
Misato glared daggers at the Angel. Maya took a few steps back in fear, while Ritsuko and Yui studied her.  
  
"Does she have a name?" asked Yui.  
  
"She is Arael." replied Skuld.  
  
Ritsuko's eyes widened, "Excuse me.you said her name is Arael?"  
  
Arael nodded, "That is.my name."  
  
"What's the matter Sempai?" asked Maya.  
  
"Arael is one of the Angels named in the Dead Sea Scrolls." replied Ritsuko, "The 15th Angel to attack us."  
  
Arael bowed her head towards the ground. "I was the 15th Messenger."  
  
Within seconds, Arael found herself flung against the wall and held there by a chokehold from Misato. Arael stared at Misato in fear as Misato's eyes glared at her full of hate.  
  
"MISATO!" shouted Skuld, "Let her go!"  
  
"THIS IS AN ANGEL!" shouted Misato, "THIS IS THE ONE THAT HURT ASUKA AND SAYOKO!!"  
  
"We know." said Skuld, "She has been forgiven by Kami-sama and..."  
  
"I don't care!" shouted Misato, "I haven't forgiven it." Misato started to lean into the Angel, causing Arael to gasp for breathe. "Sayoko was in a coma for 2 months, Asuka was in a coma for 3. All because of THIS...thing."  
  
"Misato.."  
  
"No." gasped Arael, "Let her...it.might be...better.for...all."  
  
"See!" said Misato, "Even it agrees with me. I only wish I had my gun to do this right." Misato turned and faced Arael, "I always dreamed of the day I would get my hands on an Angel.."  
  
"Misato.." came a new voice from the door, "Let her go."  
  
Misato turned her head to see Sayoko standing in the doorway. "What?"  
  
"You heard me." said Sayoko, "Let her go."  
  
"But this is the 15th! The one that put you and Asuka into comas!"  
  
"I know who she is Misato." Sayoko walked over and placed her hand on Misato's arm. "Let her go. This won't change the past. I have already made my peace with her."  
  
Misato stared at Arael for a few seconds longer before allowing Sayoko to pull her arm away, releasing the Angel. Arael slumped to the floor, coughing as she tried to regain her breathe. Sayoko gave Misato a smile before kneeling next to Arael.  
  
"Will you be alright?" she asked.  
  
Arael nodded, "I.think I'll take a short walk." She then slowly stood up and left the room.  
  
As soon as Arael had left, Misato turned on Sayoko.  
  
"How could you forgive her!? After what she did!"  
  
"That was 500 years ago Misato." said Sayoko, "She and I had a long talk. It wasn't easy for her to talk to me, considering it was my Eva that killed her originally." Sayoko looked back to the doorway. "She regrets what happened, and seeks to make amends."  
  
"Heh." snorted Misato, "That will be the day. The Angels are nothing but vicious killers."  
  
Sayoko crossed her arms and glared at Misato, "She could have used her AT- Field and splattered you across the room, but she didn't. If you had taken the time to look, you would have seen she was afraid of you. She had gone out of her way to avoid me, Asuka, and my mother because she was afraid of our reaction. Does that sound like a vicious killer?"  
  
"She's still an Angel."  
  
"So was Rei." replied Sayoko, "Are you going to choke her too?"  
  
Misato turned and stared at Sayoko for several seconds before storming off to another area of the room. Sayoko sighed and looked up at the face of Unit-04. Skuld walked over next to her.  
  
"Where have you been anyway?"  
  
"Mom found out what we're planning on doing." said Sayoko, "We had a 'discussion'."  
  
Skuld winced, "How did that go?"  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"Badly." replied Belldandy, "I should have handled it better. Instead, I exploded at her."  
  
After arguing with their daughter, Belldandy had come home to talk to the only person who she felt understood her best. Now she sat across from him, munching nervously on a Pocky stick.  
  
"She shouldn't be piloting that..thing anymore. I think it's too risky and could get her killed."  
  
Keiichi leaned back in his chair before answering.  
  
"Bell," said Keiichi, "How well do you think we raised Sayoko?"  
  
Belldandy was quiet for several moments. "We were only there for the first 4 years of her life, K." She said quietly, "We didn't see her again until she was 22. We missed 18 years of her life."  
  
Keiichi held up his hand, "I know. But, Skuld raised her, with a little help from Megumi, Urd, Misato, and even Peorth. We've also had 500 years since then to be with her. She's a grown Goddess now. I trust her to make her own decisions, so should you."  
  
"I know." replied Belldandy, "It's just...I have this weird feeling about this whole situation." She bit into another piece of Pocky.  
  
Keiichi smiled, "You realize we only have so much of that stuff. The way your chowing down on it, it will be gone in a few days."  
  
"I know." said Belldandy, "It just helps me to calm my nerves."  
  
"Heh, I haven't seen you pack that stuff since.."  
  
Belldandy stopped in mid chew and stared at Keiichi. Keiichi's eyes widened as he turned and looked at Belldandy. Then both shook their heads and spoke one word.  
  
"Nahh, couldn't be."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"You left the city intact?!"  
  
Sachiel looked up at his demon 'master'. "We saw no need to destroy it..yet. All it served was to let the lilim know that we have returned."  
  
Draco glared at Sachiel and the other Angels that were present. Lorelei sat off to the side, listening. Along the walls stood several S2 engined Sabers.  
  
"You should have leveled that city!" repeated Draco, "That is the only place on Terra 2 that resembles Tokyo-3 and that could develop a weapon to destroy us!"  
  
"I recall using the Terra 2 attack as a distraction to the Guardians, a distraction that you agreed with." Sachiel said, "I do not recall you telling us to destroy the city."  
  
"I am ordering it now!" stated Draco, "Go back and destroy Gartlant!"  
  
"No."  
  
Draco stood up and walked right up to Sachiel.  
  
"What did you say?" Draco's voice was low and menacing.  
  
Sachiel remained unfazed, "I said no."  
  
"I restored you. I brought you back from the dead. I am your Master. YOU WILL OBEY ME!" shouted Draco.  
  
Sachiel didn't even blink, "Kami-sama was our original creator, and he is one of the most powerful beings in existence, yet we did not obey him. Why should we listen to a nothing like you?"  
  
Draco's faced paled, "What?"  
  
Sachiel smiled, "Did you really think that we would allow ourselves to be dominated by anyone? Much less a lowly demon such as you?"  
  
Draco took a step back. "SABERS!!" he shouted, " Destroy them!"  
  
The Marionettes remained where they were standing. Sachiel smiled.  
  
"You gave them 'Angel' hearts, the S2 Engines as the lilim call them." Sachiel motioned his hand towards the door. The Sabers turned and began to march out. "They are under our control now."  
  
The sounds of explosions and screams soon reached their ears. Draco looked at the doorway and then back at Sachiel.  
  
"What's happening?"  
  
"We are accomplishing our primary mission," said Sachiel with a smile, "All demons must be eliminated. Our destiny is in our hands now."  
  
Draco's eyes flared red, "You..!!!" He raised his hands, forming a force ball. Before he could aim it, Draco was hurtled across the room, slamming hard against the wall. An orange hexagonal energy field held him in place. Dazed, Draco slowly turned his head to look at Sachiel.  
  
"Foolish demon." said Sachiel, "Thinking you could control those that Kami- sama himself could not even control. You find that it was a mistake to try." He then turned away and whispered, "A fatal one."  
  
A loud squishing noise was heard, followed by the sounds of Lorelei getting sick on the floor.  
  
"Now then," said Sachiel, bringing his gaze upon Lorelei, "What should we do with you?"  
  
Lorelei began to back away. Suddenly she found herself pressed against the wall by the hexagonal field.  
  
"Perhaps I should crush you like the insignificant being you are." said Sachiel, "After all, in the grand scheme of things, one lilim life is nothing."  
  
Lorelei gasped as the pressure on her began to increase, forcing the air from her lungs. It would only be a matter of time before.......  
  
"Perhaps she should remain intact for now."  
  
Lorelei dropped to the floor as the energy field vanished, leaving her gasping on the floor. Sachiel turned to Leliel.  
  
"What?"  
  
Leliel turned to face the other Angels. "I say we spare the life of this lilim for now. She seems to be the only reason the Guardians have not yet attacked us here."  
  
"What makes you say that?" asked Bardiel.  
  
"They know we have her and that she is alive. The traitors have told them that much. We know from the demon that the lilim on Terra 2 value this one's life, and the Guardians fought hard to save her life several times. That is why I believe we should spare this one."  
  
Sachiel nodded, "Very well Brother, the lilim's life is spared, for now. Have the false lilim guard her while we attack her brethren on Terra 2."  
  
"I would watch the lilim," said Leliel, "if it is alright with you?"  
  
Sachiel and the other Angels frowned.  
  
"Why?" asked Sachiel.  
  
"I am currently the weakest of our number," replied Leliel, "The light of my soul is not as strong as yours. I would remain here where I can easily eliminate the lilim if it becomes necessary."  
  
"Very well. Take her away from us. We have plans to form."  
  
Leliel nodded. He walked over, grabbed Lorelei's arm and pulled her to her feet.  
  
"Good Luck my brothers." said Leliel. He then marched Lorelei out the door.  
  
They moved silently down the hallway towards the area where Draco had been keeping Lorelei. As they walked, they had to avoid the bodies of several demons that lay on the ground. Many looked as if they had been torn apart. All had agonizing looks frozen on their faces. Lorelei shuddered as they moved past them.  
  
Leliel noticed this, "The sight of these creatures troubles you?"  
  
"All life is precious," replied Lorelei, "Even these demons."  
  
"Yet these demons would not feel the same towards you." replied Leliel, "Would knowing this change your mind?"  
  
"No. It would not."  
  
Leliel seemed to think about that. "Interesting." He then turned down a corridor.  
  
"Umm Wait a second."  
  
Leliel stopped and looked back at Lorelei. "Yes?"  
  
"My cell is this way." said Lorelei, "Where are you going?"  
  
Leliel smiled, "If you wish to go to your cell you may, but I am going to meet the Guardians. They should be coming here shortly to pick you up from me. That is unless of course you wish to stay?"  
  
Lorelei stared in shock at Leliel before walking towards him.  
  
"I think I've seen enough of hell thank you very much." She said. "Let's go."  
  
Leliel led the way down the corridor. As they walked, the Angel opened his mind and sent a message.  
  
* We are on the way Brother. *  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
* Understood. *  
  
Tabris opened his eyes and looked at the 2 Guardians who were still looking over the map of hell with Mara.  
  
"Leliel is on the move." Asuka and Shinji turned to face Tabris. Mara looked up at him from the map.  
  
"What did you say?" asked Asuka.  
  
"Leliel is on the move." repeated Tabris, "And Lorelei is with him."  
  
Asuka's eyes went wide, "Well why didn't you say that?! Let's go!"  
  
"How?" asked Shinji.  
  
"Baka Shinji! We teleport of course!"  
  
"Ohhhh.."  
  
Asuka looked at Tabris, "Where is your Angel buddy going to meet us?"  
  
Tabris leaned over the map and indicated an area, "Right there."  
  
"Then that's where we'll teleport." Asuka said. She looked at the others. "Ready?"  
  
The others nodded. Even though it was not required for teleporting, Asuka raised her hand with a flourish and then snapped her fingers, all four of them then vanished from the room. For several seconds, the room remained empty. Then a bright flash and a loud bang echoed throughout the room as the four reappeared, falling to the ground.  
  
"Shiest!" shouted Asuka, "What the hell was that?!"  
  
"An old trick used by my brothers to keep demons in their place." said Tabris as he stood up. "Otherwise when we went to eradicate them, the Demons would disappear, continuing their destructive ways. It also worked to keep demons from teleporting in to assault us when we least expected it." Tabris then sighed. "Apparently Sachiel adapted it for use against you Guardians as well as myself."  
  
"Meaning Leliel won't be able to teleport here with Lorelei." said Shinji, "What do we do now?"  
  
"We still have to get down there." said Asuka. She turned and looked at Mara. "Is there any other way down there?"  
  
"Well, there are two ways." said Mara, "One is the descending passages that connect each level. Problem is that it takes a long time to get down there."  
  
"And the second?"  
  
"Second is faster..But I don't think you'll like it."  
  
"Show me."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Misato stared at the massive form of Eva 04 from her place on the catwalk. Gods and Goddesses were still going over the giant figure, checking each and every system they could examine. Off to the side and far below, Yui, Ritsuko, Maya, Urd, and Skuld continue to examine the Eva using a terminal linked directly to Yggdrasil. Misato let out a sigh.  
  
'Why am I here?' she thought, 'I don't know anything about the Evas. I'm a tactician, not a scientist.'  
  
Misato looked up towards the entry plug. Sayoko moved about it, checking its controls and connections.  
  
'Why? Why are you befriending that killer? I hope you don't regret your decision to trust that monster.'  
  
Movement on the catwalk caught her attention. She turned to see that the Angel had returned. Misato watched as the Angel stepped to the railing and stared at the face of the Eva. For several long seconds, the two powerful entities stared at each other. Finally, the Angel turned away, visible shivering. When she looked up again, she found herself face to face with Misato.  
  
"What's the matter?" asked Misato, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Is the Angel afraid of the big mean old Eva?"  
  
The Angel stared at Misato, blinking several times.  
  
"Awwww Poor Angel. You just can't stand the fact that we, what did you call us? 'Lilim' beat you."  
  
The Angel looked at Misato for a few seconds longer before turning and walking away.  
  
"What's the matter? Can't you handle the truth! Or are you going to go ruin someone else's life by raping their mind?"  
  
The Angel stopped walking.  
  
"Oooooo Did I hit a nerve?" Misato said. "I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings..Not!"  
  
"Why must you torment me?" asked the Angel, still looking away from Misato.  
  
"Torment you? I haven't tormented you. Once I figure out how to rape your mind then I will torment you."  
  
The Angel turned and looked at Misato, pain filling her eyes. "I have already asked for forgiveness. I know I can do nothing to undo my past actions, but I can try to make amends."  
  
Misato snorted, "You want to make amends do you? You know what you can do to make amends?" Misato walked right up to the Angel and got right in her face. "You..can...go...to...Hell!"  
  
Misato then turned and walked away, leaving Arael alone on the catwalk. Arael slowly sank to the floor.  
  
"I've already been there." She said quietly.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Shinji leaned over the edge and looked down.  
  
"That's a big hole." He said.  
  
He, Asuka, Mara, and Tabris stood at the edge of a massive hole. Along the walls could be seen 2 of the levels of Hell..the rest farther down in the darkness.  
  
Shinji turned and looked at Mara, "How deep is it?"  
  
"Deep." replied Mara, "This shaft connects through each level straight to the bottom. It's the quickest way to the bottom."  
  
Shinji looked over the edge again. "So how do we get down?"  
  
"Easy." With that Mara stepped forward walked off the edge. She hovered over the hole. "Freefall." She then stopped hovering a dropped, her cape trailing behind her.  
  
Shinji stared down at the disappearing figure before looking at Asuka. "She's crazy!"  
  
Asuka smiled, "What? It's looks like fun!" She stepped out over the hole, also hovering. "Are you coming?"  
  
Shinji stared at her before looking down again. "But it's so far down."  
  
Asuka frowned slightly. "Such a boring little boy..." She then dropped. "See ya at the bottom Baka Shinji-kun!!"  
  
Shinji watched Asuka until she vanished in the darkness. He then looked at Tabris. Tabris shrugged.  
  
"It is the quickest way down." He then stepped off and followed the woman down.  
  
Shinji let out a sigh, "How do I get myself into these things?"  
  
He then stepped off and into the abyss.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Yui and Cherry sat on a bench one of the Gardens that surrounded the Yggdrasil Building. Every now and then Lime ran by, either chasing or being chase by several small birds.  
  
Cherry sighed, "At least someone is enjoying themselves."  
  
"There's not much else we can do but wait." said Yui, "According to hell, Mom and Dad went off with Mara and that Angel have begun their operation. If all goes well, you'll have Lorelei back on Terra 2 by this evening."  
  
"That's good." said Cherry, "It will be nice to have Lorelei back." Cherry then turned her head. "I think the Master misses her." She added softly.  
  
"Jealous?"  
  
Cherry looked back at Yui blushing, "I don't know what your talking about."  
  
Yui looked back towards Lime. "I think you do. You're jealous that Otaru is possible developing feelings for Lorelei, instead of you. Maybe even a little afraid of what may happen to you if he does."  
  
"Maybe I am." Cherry said quietly.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Lime chased the birds into a small clearing. As she ran through it, a sob reached her ears. Lime slowed down to a stop and listened. Hearing more sobs Lime followed them to their source. Sitting on the ground, looking away from her was the female Angel, Arael. Lime walked up to her quietly and knelt by her.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
Arael jumped and moved several feet away from Lime. "Leave me alone."  
  
"But your unhappy." said Lime, "Why are you unhappy?"  
  
Arael looked up at Lime. Lime looked at her, questioningly. Arael was about to reply when she noticed the seams in Lime's arms.  
  
"You are not a Lilim. Yet you have a soul. How can this be?" asked Arael.  
  
"I'm Lime. I'm a Marionette."  
  
Arael smiled a little, remembering the history she had read. "So...you were one of the ones who rescued the lilim Lorelei."  
  
Lime nodded, "Yep! Cherry, Bloodberry, and me rescued her from Mesopotamia." Lime then looked at Arael questioningly, "What's a Lilim?"  
  
"Lilim is what we..'Angels' call the mortal life that exists on the Earth and Terra 2."  
  
"You're an Angel?" asked Lime surprised. "I thought Angels where those big monsters that attacked Earth a long time ago. You don't look like a monster to me."  
  
Arael's smile fell, "Yes, We did. And yes..I am a monster." Arael begin to sob again, "A.vicious.killer. That's what she called me."  
  
Lime sat down next to Arael, "Do you regret what you did?"  
  
Arael nodded.  
  
"Well, you don't want to hurt anyone now right?"  
  
Arael shook her head.  
  
"Then you can start over." said Lime with a smile, "The Saber Dolls started over. We used to get into fights but now we're good friends."  
  
Arael gave a small but sad smile, "I don't think this situation is the same."  
  
"Sure it is!" said Lime. She then grabbed Arael's arm and pulled her to her feet. "Come on! You can meet Cherry and Yui!"  
  
Before Arael could say anything, she was led away by a very eager Marionette.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"I wouldn't worry." replied Yui, "From what my parents have said, he cares for you three. He will never stop caring about you, no matter what. Lorelei cares for you as well, after all, you three rescued her."  
  
"Hey Yui! Cherry!" shouted Lime, "I found something!"  
  
Both Cherry and Yui looked up from their discussion to see Lime coming towards them, pulling along a figure in gray robes. Cherry didn't recognize the person at first, but Yui's blood ran cold as she was able to tell who it was right away.  
  
"Who is it Lime?" asked Cherry, ever polite.  
  
"This is Arael!" said Lime, "Arael, this is Cherry.and this is."  
  
"SECOND CHILD?!?!" Arael gasped and began to back away. She couldn't go far because Lime still held on to her.  
  
Lime looked at Arael confused, "Second Child? That's Yui! She's an only child."  
  
"That's not what she means Lime." said Yui quietly. She then walked up the Arael, who was still trying to break free of Lime. "You're an Angel right?"  
  
Arael stopped struggling and nodded, seemingly resigning herself to fate.  
  
"Which means you probably faced my parents, the Second and Third Children, as well as my Aunts, the First and Fifth?"  
  
Arael nodded again.  
  
Yui stared at Arael for several minutes before speaking again.  
  
"I've seen you around Sayoko, so she must have forgiven you for anything you did in the past.."  
  
"I don't deserve to be forgiven" replied Arael, staring at the ground.  
  
"If you didn't deserve to be forgiven, Kami-sama wouldn't allow you here." replied Yui, "Whatever you did, you need to let it go and move on."  
  
"I can't" said Arael, "Not until I speak with the Second."  
  
"Momma won't be back till later." said Yui, "Until then your welcome to stay here with us."  
  
"You wouldn't let me stay if you knew what I have done." said Arael.  
  
"That's in the past." said Yui, "Urd's domain. If Aunt Sayoko trusts you, that's good enough for me."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"Go now. Destroy Japoness."  
  
Matariel and Ramiel bowed before vanishing. Sachiel then turned to the others.  
  
"Now we wait for news of their success. Then we can.." Sachiel's voice trailed off as he sensed something. From the looks on the faces of the others, they could sense it as well. Sachiel concentrated on that feeling, and then realized what it was.  
  
"Tabris." Sachiel muttered.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Asuka, Shinji, and Tabris looked around the area that had landed in.  
  
"What is this place?" asked Shinji.  
  
"The most recent addition to hell." replied Mara, "Only 500 years old. It hold the 13 most despised mortals of Heaven and Hell." Mara walked towards an opening in the wall. "This is the quickest way to get to Leliel. Don't touch anything."  
  
Mara led them down a corridor and into a large chamber. The sounds of pain hit them as soon as they entered. Thirteen columns of light filled the chamber. Floating in each was a man, being tormented by who knows what. As he moved past them, Tabris realized who these men were.  
  
"Just try to ignore them." said Mara as she moved to the far wall. She then began to search the wall. ".the release was somewhere along here..."  
  
While Mara looked for the release, Shinji and Asuka looked around. Something about the 13th column of light drew Shinji towards it. Asuka in the meantime wondered towards the side wall, noticing some writing on it. Surprisingly, Asuka noticed that she could actually read the demon script.  
  
" 'In this chamber...are those who once sought..to bring man together.as one.' " read Asuka, " 'May their names forever be lost to mankind.' " Asuka turned and looked at the columns. "Geez, someone wanted these guys forgotten." She turned to where Shinji was. "Who do you think they were Shin.." He voice trailed off as she caught the look on his face. Shinji was staring coldly at the man floating in the 13th column. As Asuka moved to Shinji's side, she could see why. Floating in the column was Gendo Ikari, Shinji's father.  
  
"I always wondered what happened to him." said Shinji quietly, "If he had escaped the JSSDF and was moving freely around the world. Or if he had died during that battle." Asuka put her arms around Shinji and held him to her. "I looked in Yggdrasil for a while, trying to find any sign of him. But I didn't find anything in the things I had access to." Shinji finally looked at Asuka. "Now I know why Mara refused to say anything."  
  
"Are you alright?" asked Asuka.  
  
Shinji looked up at his father again, "At one time I might have forgiven him for how he treated me, and mother. But after learning everything he did, I want nothing more to do with him. He can rot here."  
  
"YES!"  
  
Shinji and Asuka turned to see that Mara had finally opened the hidden door.  
  
"Alright kiddies," said Mara, "Let's go get Lorelei."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Author's Notes: Yes..I'm still alive. Other things have been occupying my mind, such as finding a job. Next chapter is under way.. 


	14. Chapter 13: Sacrifice of Angels

Chapter 13 Sacrifice of Angels  
Leliel led Lorelei through several corridors, several times ducking into rooms to avoid the Sabers that still patrolled the halls. After avoiding the 4th patrol, Lorelei turned to Leliel.  
  
"I thought you were supposed to be all powerful. Why are we avoiding the patrols? Can't you just zap them?"  
  
"It's not that easy." replied Leliel, beginning to walk down the corridor. "Any attempt I make to use what you lilim call an AT-Field, my brothers will detect it and investigate."  
  
Lorelei nodded then looked around. "So where are we going anyway?"  
  
"There is a tunnel that leads to one of the levels of Hell. Tabris, one of my brothers who shares my views, will be waiting there with several members of the heavens. They will then take you back to Terra 2."  
  
"I'm afraid that is no longer the case...brother."  
  
Leliel looked up the corridor to see a squad of Sabers blocking their way. In the midst of the Sabers stood Sahaqiel, the 10th Angel.  
  
"Leliel, you have been led astray." said Sahaqiel, "Come back to us, destroy this lilim."  
  
"I cannot do that. Sachiel is wrong to continue this path." said Leliel, "It will destroy us."  
  
"No. It will only destroy those who oppose us." Sahaqiel turned to the Sabers. "Get them."  
  
The Sabers started to run at Lorelei and Leliel. Lorelei was about to run away from them when she noticed that the Sabers were slowing down..and getting shorter. The floor beneath them was now pitch black. The Sabers were slowly sinking into the blackness, as was Sahaqiel. Sahaqiel glared at Leliel.  
  
"You know you will not survive this."  
  
"If that is my fate, I shall except it." replied Leliel, "The universe has gotten by without us before, and will do so again."  
  
Sahaqiel made no move as he sank. He continued to glare at Leliel until he disappeared. The blackness that swallowed him and the others then shifted on the floor, moving towards Leliel and Lorelei. Lorelei made a move to escape it, but Leliel grabbed her.  
  
"No need." Leliel remained in place as the blackness reached his foot, then disappeared.  
  
Lorelei stared at Leliel stunned, "How..what.where?"  
  
Leliel pulled Lorelei down the hallway, "We have somewhere to be, questions later."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Otaru and Bloodberry walked quietly back to the apartment. They had watched the footage of Gartlant's devastation all day at the castle and were mentally drained.  
  
"I knew the Angel's were bad," said Otaru, "But I never expected that. If they can do that to Gartlant, imagine what they could do to Japoness."  
  
"But we have something that Gartlant didn't have." replied Bloodberry, "We have divine help."  
  
"Yeah well." Otaru yawned, "enough thinking today. I want to crawl in bed and sleep with no distractions."  
  
"Otaru-kun!!" shouted Hanagata, bursting out of his apartment. "Where have you been? I missed you so!"  
  
Otaru let out a sigh and glanced at Bloodberry, "Would you mind?"  
  
Bloodberry grinned, "Not at all." She pulled back her fist. "Bye bye Hana- chan."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Touji and Rei sat on top of Japoness Castle, looking over the city.  
  
"You know," said Touji, "At night, Japoness kinda reminds me of Tokyo-3."  
  
Rei glanced at Touji, "How so?"  
  
"Well all the lights, the sounds, even the view in a way."  
  
Rei chuckled, "I don't see any of these buildings retracting into the ground." Rei turned and looked back over the city. "It is pleasant though."  
  
It was then a human like object flew over their heads screaming, "YOU'RE SO CRUEL!!" The object then disappeared into the night sky. Touji turned and looked off in the direction it disappeared.  
  
"What the hell was that?"  
  
Rei's eyes never wavered from her view of the city.  
  
"Don't ask." She said, "You probably wouldn't believe me."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Sachiel marched down the corridor, followed closely by 4 Sabers.  
  
* Brother, * came Bardiel's voice, * The lilim is missing, as is Leliel and Sahaqiel. *  
  
* That cannot be. * replied Sachiel, * Sahaqiel left me not more then 5 minutes ago with a squad of these.false lilim. *  
  
* There is no sign of him. *  
  
Sachiel thought for a second, * Maybe the reason we cannot reach him is because he is not in this dimension. *  
  
* You mean.. *  
  
* Yes, * replied Sachiel, * Leliel is now our enemy as well. Treat him as such. *  
  
* Of course.Brother. *  
  
Sachiel continued heading towards that last place Tabris was detected.  
  
'I grow tired of these distractions.' thought Sachiel, '4 of our number corrupted by the lilim and their 'gods'. They will pay.'  
  
* Matariel. Ramiel. It is time. Attack. *  
  
* Yes Brother. *  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Tamasaburo moved silently across the dark rooftops of Japoness. Since her repair after the kidnapping of Lorelei, she and Baiko had been patrolling the city as they had before the demons arrival. Tamasaburo stopped on one particularly tall building and took a look around. Her optics easily spotted the two Guardians sitting on top of the Castle. While Tamasaburo really didn't care for them, she did appreciate the Guardians presence. She and Baiko hadn't been able to do anything against either the Demons or the S2 powered Sabers. As part of the threat update, both Imperial Guard had been given all the information available on the Angels, including those that had defected to the heavens. Should an Angel attack Japoness, Tamasaburo had computed that no matter what she and Baiko did, they would be unable to defeat the beings. The fact that the Guardians had faced them before and won was comforting to the Saber.  
  
"Tamasaburo." came Baiko's voice over the radio, "Status."  
  
"Sector 34 clear." replied Tamasaburo, "No problems detected."  
  
"Very well. Proceed to next patrol area."  
  
"Understood."  
  
Tamasaburo turned and moved toward her next patrol area, which was along the outer edges of the city. As she moved toward the area, she could see the wall that protected the city from attack. The wall was fully manned by Sabers as well as Japoness troops. The gun towers were manned and fully armed. Tamasaburo stopped on another building and looked about the streets, checking for any signs of trouble. It was while she was doing this that her auditory senses detected something. It was the sound of heavy footfalls coming from the darkness beyond the city. A quick run through of her files revealed that the sound was similar to the Gartlant Krabenstaffs. Since Gartlant was no longer a threat, Tamasaburo checked her files on the Angels for something similar. She found it immediately.  
  
"Have detected possible Angel outside of city near sector 51. Identity maybe the 9th Angel. Please advise."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Rei sat up immediately. She grabbed the radio that was sitting beside her and looked in the direction indicated.  
  
"Do you have visual yet?"  
  
"Negative." was Tamasaburo's reply.  
  
"Which Angel was the 10th?" asked Touji.  
  
"The spider that dripped Acid." replied Rei, "It attacked during the power outage. Fairly weak AT-Field. We were able to defeat it rather easily."  
  
"So where is it?" asked Touji.  
  
"The Imperial Guard have very good sensing ability. It could still be several miles off."  
  
Touji looked at Rei questioningly, "But we should still be able to detect it before the Sabers right?"  
  
"Possibly.."  
  
"What do you mean possibly?!"  
  
Rei looked at Touji for several moments before raising the radio to her mouth again.  
  
"Battery Alpha. I need illumination of area 14."  
  
A gun battery along the wall fired. After several minutes passed, the night sky was filled with light as the star shell burst and slowly began its descent. The ground below it was instantly illuminated, revealing a massive 8-legged creature. Also revealed in the flicking light was a massive diamond shape, floating over the ground. Both were headed towards the city.  
  
Rei turned and looked at Touji, "Signal Yggdrasil. We are engaging the 5th and 9th Angels."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Blaring sirens awoke Otaru, who had just gotten to sleep. The sounds of the defense guns firing soon followed. Bloodberry raced into Otaru's room.  
  
"What the hell is going on?"  
  
"I don't know!" replied Otaru, "But I know where we can find out."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Faust and the Saber dolls watched from the balcony of castle Japoness as battery after battery of defense guns fired at the approaching Angels.  
  
Luchs looked over at Faust, "Reports coming in. Gunners reporting they are not getting through the Angel's AT-field."  
  
"Where the hell are the Guardians?!" snarled Panther, "Aren't they supposed to be defending us?"  
  
Two massive explosions blasted the ground next to the 9th Angel, causing it to fall onto its side. Several of its legs now lay shattered and twitching on the ground. The guns along the wall turned on the fallen form and were rewarded with a massive explosion.  
  
"There is your answer." said Faust.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Rei and Touji hovered over the fallen form of the 9th Angel.  
  
"You're right." said Touji, "It was pretty weak." He glanced at the 5th. "Shall we finish this now?"  
  
"Be careful." said Rei, "The 5th is very powerful."  
  
Touji turned to look at the floating diamond. "Well then, let's take it out before it causes any damage."  
  
Both then raised their hands and fired force bolts at the diamond. Just seconds before they hit, an orange hexagonal field appeared, blocking the shots. Touji glanced at Rei.  
  
"Again." ordered Rei.  
  
Two more force bolts ripped through the night sky. Once again, the shots were blocked by the Angel's AT-field.  
  
"Alright." said Rei, "This could be a problem."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Asuka, Shinji, Mara, and Tabris ran down through corridor after corridor.  
  
"Where are they?" asked Asuka.  
  
"Turn right at this intersection." replied Tabris.  
  
Asuka started to turn right, and almost immediately slammed on the breaks, causing the other to crash into her.  
  
"OW!" shouted Mara, "What's the big idea?" Mara looked to see the other three staring at something. She turned to see what it was. "Oh." Was all she could manage.  
  
Standing before them was an Angel. He stood there, staring at them.  
  
"Tabris." He said.  
  
Tabris stepped forward, "Israfel. It does not have to be this way."  
  
Israfel shock his head, "There is no other way. You will not make it past me Tabris."  
  
"Who is this?" asked Shinji.  
  
"The 7th messenger." replied Tabris.  
  
Asuka let a smile appear on her face. "Mara, you and Tabris go around. Shinji and I will handle the Angel."  
  
Tabris glanced at Asuka, "Are you sure? He can.."  
  
"I remember." replied Asuka, "Now go."  
  
Tabris shrugged and took off with Mara down a different corridor, leaving Asuka and Shinji staring at Israfel.  
  
"What do you think Shinji?" said Asuka glancing at her husband.  
  
"I think he's toast." replied Shinji with a smile, "Think we can do it in less then 60 this time?"  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
As one both Asuka and Shinji turned and faced the Angel.  
  
"Let's dance." said Asuka towards the Angel.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Otaru had finally arrived at castle Japoness with Bloodberry. Now they stood next to Faust and the Saber Dolls watching as attack after attack was blocked by the 5th Angel.  
  
"They're not getting through, are they?" asked Otaru.  
  
Faust shook his head, "They took out the first one rather quickly. This one is proving more difficult."  
  
"Have they said anything?"  
  
"Other then asking the guns to continue firing, there was a weird comment made by Rei." said Luchs.  
  
"What was that?" asked Otaru.  
  
"Something about all the power in Japan. But I have no idea what she was taking about. Do you?"  
  
Otaru shrugged. He then turned and looked back towards the battle. "I bet Cherry would know."  
  
"Ummm Otaru." said Bloodberry, "What is that?" She pointed toward another area of the sky.  
  
Everyone turned to see what she was pointing at. There, floating in the sky on the opposite side of Japoness from the attacking Angel was a massive ring, slowly rotating in the night.  
  
"According to my files.." said Luchs, "That is the form of the 16th Angel."  
  
Faust turned and looked at Luchs, "Inform the Guardians of this situation."  
  
"Yes Lord Faust."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Asuka and Shinji leaped about the corridor, telepathically coordinating their attacks against the Angel. Within seconds of beginning the fight, the Angel had split into two separate entities. Asuka and Shinji both spun and kicked the Angel down the corridor. The Angel was beginning to move slower and slower as the two Guardians continued to press on their attack. Finally, after being on the receiving end of two separate punches, the Angel reformed into a single entity. Shinji and Asuka looked at each other with smiles on their faces as they both turned and unleashed powerful force bolts from their hands. The bolt smashed into the Angel and exploded. Within seconds another more powerful explosion rocked the corridor as the Angel's core detonated. Shinji glanced over at Asuka.  
  
"40 seconds. Not bad."  
  
Asuka smiled, "It was a lot easier this time. Now, let's go find Mara and Tabris."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
The further Lorelei went with Leliel, the more she noticed something was wrong. He seemed to be sweating more and stumbling every few steps.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked Lorelei.  
  
Leliel smiled, "I will make it to our rendezvous."  
  
"But will you survive after it?"  
  
"That is up to fate to decide."  
  
Lorelei looked at Leliel but continued to move. "How much farther?"  
  
Leliel closed his eyes for a second. "We are here."  
  
Lorelei stopped and looked around. "Aren't we supposed to be meeting someone?"  
  
Leliel opened his eyes and looked at her. "They were delayed, but will be arriving."  
  
"Greetings Brother."  
  
"..now." Leliel turned shakily to the approaching Angel and Mara. "It is good to see you again, Tabris."  
  
Tabris walked up to Leliel and looked at him with concern. "What is the matter?"  
  
"Sahaqiel does not agree with me." replied Leliel with a smile, "I am glad you are here. I may not last much longer."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Lorelei.  
  
Mara quickly grabbed Lorelei's arm. "Don't worry about that now. We have to leave."  
  
"But." Lorelei looked back at Leliel. Leliel smiled at her.  
  
"Go. Return to your friends."  
  
"Thank you." replied Lorelei before allowing Mara to take her away. When they were far enough away, Tabris turned back to Leliel.  
  
"You should let him go. You're only going to cause your destruction."  
  
"Then my death will assist you. I have felt Matariel and Israfel depart this life already. Sahaqiel will follow." Leliel grabbed hold of Tabris' arm, "Go now. You are still needed. I have served my purpose. Good bye, Brother." He then turned and stumbled down the corridor away from Tabris.  
  
"Good bye." replied Tabris. He watched as Leliel vanished down the corridor before turning and running after Mara and Lorelei.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Mara and Lorelei continued to run towards the exit. They quickly ran around a corner, and promptly collided with Asuka and Shinji.  
  
"SHIEST!"  
  
"DAMN RIGHT SHIT!" shouted Mara, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"  
  
Asuka glared at the demon, "WATCH WHERE I'M GOING?!?!"  
  
"Umm, can we do this elsewhere?" said Shinji as he helped Lorelei to her feet. "We should really be leaving here."  
  
"I concur with the Third Child." said Tabris arriving on the scene, "This area is about to become a bit more dangerous."  
  
Asuka and Mara glared at each other a few seconds more before following the others down the corridor.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Leliel stumbled deeper into the rogue Demon's base. He headed towards a door and quickly entered. Standing before him in the room was the Lilim Taltamir and 4 Sabers. Taltamir turned from his computer terminal to face Leliel upon hearing him enter.  
  
"Yes?" asked Taltamir, "Can I help you?"  
  
"You are the lilim who brought us back?" asked Leliel.  
  
Taltamir nodded, "I am."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I cloned and grew cells from samples of your remains." replied Taltamir, "And using the technology the demons recovered from how NERV and SEELE manufactured the Rei and Nagisa clones, I was able to restore you."  
  
"These samples, where are they?"  
  
Taltamir pointed to a large cabinet, "There. Why?"  
  
Leliel ignored the question, "And these are the only remaining samples?"  
  
Taltamir looked at Leliel confused, "Yes? Why are you asking me these questions?"  
  
"To prevent the destruction of the lilim," replied Leliel, "and to make sure we cannot be revived again..ever."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Leliel didn't hear him though. He allowed his core to collapse. The release of energy was instantaneous. With a loud roar, the core of the 12th Angel detonated. It was soon joined by the detonations of the 10th Angel's, as well as the 4 Saber's cores. The resulting explosions caused most of the caves and corridors to collapse. Lorelei, Asuka, Shinji, Mara, and Tabris had just exited into the main cavern when the corridor behind them spat out fire, before collapsing in on itself.  
  
"What the hell was that!" asked Asuka.  
  
"The destruction of 2 of my Brothers." replied Tabris, "1 who was led astray by Sachiel, and one who has sacrificed all to allow us to escape."  
  
Lorelei knew instantly whom he meant. After several moments of silence, Tabris turned to Lorelei.  
  
"It is time to return you to your home lilim."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"This isn't good." said Touji, ducking as yet another powerful blast was shot at him by the 5th Angel. It apparently had gotten tired of being shot at. In the past 5 minutes it had come alive, destroying 7 of the gun towers, and taken several potshots at Rei and Touji. Neither Guardian had yet to punch a hole through the 5th's AT-field. In addition, the 16th Angel was floating over the opposite side of the city. Rei was finding it difficult to concentrate on her task against the 5th, while the Angel that had caused her the most pain hovered nearby.  
  
"Luchs." said Rei, "Has the 16th done anything?"  
  
"Negative." came the reply over the radio, "It's still just hovering there."  
  
"Let me know the instant it moves."  
  
"What do you think it's doing?" asked Touji.  
  
"Damned if I know." Rei let out a sigh, and looked at the 5th which was just beginning to move over the city walls, "I'd feel a lot better if it did something besides just floating there."  
  
"REI!" came a shout over the radio.  
  
"HOLY SHIT!" shouted Touji as a giant white tube raced past him.  
  
Rei stared as the 16th Angel raced past them, heading straight towards the 5th Angel. The 5th's AT-field flared into existence, before the 16th shattered it. The 16th made direct contact with the surface of the 5th Angel, but instead of stopping, it ripped directly through the diamond, blasting out of the back of it. With a roar of pain, the 5th began to settle towards the ground, but the 16th wasn't yet done. It whipped around again and plunged into the 5th, blasting out from the opposite side. The 5th let out one more roar of pain before falling silent. Touji glanced over at Rei.  
  
"Feel better now? It moved."  
  
Rei ignored Touji and turned towards the 16th. The giant tube simmered, before it began to shrink down. Then, with a flash of light, it vanished. In its place was the figure of a man, who Rei and Touji recognized as one of the Angels that had rejoined the heavens. He floated over to Rei and Touji.  
  
"Forgive me for not arriving sooner," said the Angel, "But I was delayed by the Goddess Belldandy."  
  
Rei's eyes narrowed, "You.."  
  
The Angel turned and looked at Rei, "Hello..Mother."  
  
Within seconds, the Angel was on the ground, laying flat on his back. Rei lowered her fist and step over the Angel, looking down on him.  
  
"Don't call me Mother." Rei said. She then turned and walked away.  
  
Armisael slowly sat up, rubbing his chin, "I suppose I deserved that."  
  
"You deserve a whole lot more." replied Touji, glaring at Armisael.  
  
Armisael let out a sigh, "I know this. No matter what I do, nothing can forgive what we did back then. But as Tabris told us, we can try."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Asuka, Shinji, Mara, and Tabris led Lorelei towards the center of the cavern. Asuka then turned to Lorelei.  
  
"Ok, Normally we'd just teleport out, but the Angel's the remain are still blocking us." Asuka then looked up, "So the quickest way out is that way."  
  
Lorelei looked up to see the giant hole in the ceiling that led to the upper levels of Hell.  
  
"And how am I going to get up there?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"You're going to ride on Shinji's back." Asuka's eyes then narrowed, "Just don't get any ideas...He's mine."  
  
Shinji rolled his eyes, "Asuka, I'm not going through the Sayoko incident all over again. Let her be."  
  
Asuka looked back at Shinji, "Just letting her know."  
  
"Right..." Shinji turned to Lorelei, "Don't worry about her. Just climb on and hang on tight."  
  
Lorelei nodded and, with one last glare from Asuka, wrapped her arms around Shinji's neck and hopped onto his back.  
  
Shinji then began to float off the ground, followed by Asuka and Mara. Tabris however, remained on the ground.  
  
Shinji looked down at him, "You coming Tabris?"  
  
Tabris looked up at Shinji and smiled, "You go on ahead....I will hold him off."  
  
"Him?" Shinji and the others turned to see another Angel standing on the far side of the cavern. His eyes glared daggers at the group.  
  
"Go on." repeated Tabris, "I will keep him busy."  
  
Shinji nodded and immediately floated upwards, followed by Mara. Asuka lingered a bit longer. Tabris turned towards her.  
  
"I said go."  
  
Asuka shook her head, "We can take him if we work together."  
  
"No..the 3rd Angel is mine." Tabris replied, "Your mission here has ended."  
  
"But.." Asuka looked back at the 3rd, "can you take him?"  
  
"No." replied Tabris.  
  
"Then why.."  
  
Tabris smirked, "Because it is something I must do." He then looked at Asuka. "In the coming days, something from the past will return to haunt you. Before you act on this information, all I ask is that you hear her out. She deserves that much."  
  
Asuka looked at Tabris confused, "She?"  
  
Tabris turned and looked towards the 3rd Angel. "Good bye, 2nd Child." He then began to walk towards Sachiel.  
  
Asuka waited several moments longer before following the others upward.  
  
Sachiel waited until Tabris was 10 feet away before speaking. "You are foolish to face me alone Tabris."  
  
"Perhaps..But then I was foolish to have listened to you all those years ago." Tabris eyes flickered, "This is my act of penance."  
  
Tabris' eyes flashed and a massive cross explosion engulfed Sachiel. For several moments, Tabris lost sight of Sachiel. Suddenly an energy pike burst forth from the fireball and punched into Tabris' chest, slicing through his core and exiting out his back. Tabris stared wide-eyed at the pike. The fireball cleared revealing Sachiel on the other end of the pike. Sachiel retracted the pike back into his arm. Tabris fell to the ground as soon as the pike exited him.  
  
"Fool." said Sachiel, "Had you stayed with your brothers you may have lived to see us triumph. Instead you chose the path of death."  
  
"No..." replied Tabris weakly, "I...chose the...path of...life..life.for the lilim." Tabris' eyes then went dark.  
  
Sachiel glared at the corpse before his eyes flared, vaporizing the remains. Sachiel then turned his eyes upward where he could still see the rapidly ascending group.  
  
"We will meet again.." he said quietly, "you can be sure of that."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 


	15. Chapter 14: Lorelei returns, Asuka finds...

Chapter 14 Lorelei returns, Asuka finds out  
"NOOO!!! GET OUT OF MY MIND!!!"  
  
"Momma Momma!!!! They made me a pilot!!! I'm going to be a pilot!!!!"  
  
"WHAT! NO! Not again, DON'T MAKE ME SEE THIS AGAIN!"  
  
"Momma!! Momma!!"  
  
A creak of a door opening is heard.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Misato Kaji sighed and looked at Ritsuko. "Why am I here?"  
  
"For the 20th, 21st, and 22nd times." replied Ritsuko Akagi, "I don't know. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to finish this up."  
  
Misato glanced over at Yui Ikari and Maya Ibuki. Both women were working silently together, checking over the systems of Unit 04. The task had slowed down a bit when Sayoko, Skuld and Urd had been called in to a meeting with Kami-sama. Misato turned and looked back up at the Eva.  
  
"Can this thing even run?" asked Misato, "I mean, they pulled Belldandy and Keiichi out of its core... How is it going to work without them?"  
  
Ritsuko sighed and looked up from her terminal, "Apparently there is a ghost image of the Morisatos left inside the core."  
  
Misato frowned, "Ghost image? You mean they left part of their souls in there? Like Asuka's Mom?"  
  
Ritsuko shook her head, "No..not like that. Think of it like this: When you get your picture taken, a flash bulb goes off. Because of the brightness of the flash, for a bit after you see the image of the bulb as it is temporarily burned into your retina. This is something similar..only it doesn't seem to have faded."  
  
Misato looked back up at the Eva, "So it's like her parents are still in the Eva?"  
  
"Kind of. Their thoughts, memories, dreams, hopes, desires, all up to the time they were pulled out are all in there. Think of it as a giant storage drive. The only thing it lacks is a consciousness."  
  
Misato let that sink in as she continued to stare at the Eva. Several floors above her, another person was confronting the Eva, face to face.  
  
Belldandy stared at the Eva. The Eva blank eyes seem to stare right back at her.  
  
"For much of my daughter's youth..you were my prison." said Belldandy, "Yet you allowed me to help her. Yet this time, I will not be there for her." Belldandy looked away. "I do not wish to lose my daughter." She returned her gaze to the Eva. "You will protect her and bring her back to me."  
  
The Evas eyes flared blue for a second, before darkening again.  
  
Belldandy's face took on a look of satisfaction.  
  
"I'm glad we understand each other."  
  
"Belldandy-sama."  
  
Belldandy turned to see Sigel standing behind her. "Yes?"  
  
"You requested to be alerted. They have returned."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"Auntie Megumi? When will Poppa and Momma come home?"  
  
"NO! Not this again!! NOT AGAIN!!!"  
  
"I don't know Yoko. Your Auntie Skuld and Urd went to heaven to find out."  
  
"Why did they go there?"  
  
"Because they can't reach your Mother from here."  
  
"Auntie Skuld? Auntie Urd? Where's Poppa and Momma?"  
  
"Yoko...they're....they're gone Yoko."  
  
"Are they gonna come back?"  
  
"No Yoko...they're not coming back..ever."  
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!"  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Arael sat up screaming.  
  
'The dreams.." she thought, "Always those dreams..."  
  
Arael sat quietly on the bed. She had been brought here by Yui. The girl had wanted to show Arael that there were no animosity towards her. Lime and Cherry had helped to reinforce that.  
  
"Arael?! Are you alright?"  
  
Arael turned to see the red haired girl staring at her.  
  
'She is not the Second Child...' thought Arael, 'She is Yui, daughter of the 2nd and 3rd.' "I am fine." She said quietly.  
  
Yui gave Arael a skeptical look. Arael let out a sigh.  
  
"Alright..I'm not alright. I had a bad dream."  
  
"You want to talk about it?" asked Yui.  
  
Arael shook her head. "No."  
  
"It was about Momma and Auntie Sayoko wasn't it."  
  
Arael didn't reply. Yui took that as a yes.  
  
"Lime and Cherry are waiting downstairs." said Yui, "Come on down when your ready."  
  
Yui then left. Arael sat there for a few moments longer before she got up and exited the room. There, hanging across from her on the wall her was a picture, showing the 2nd and 3rd children, their daughter, and the 2 Grandmothers, one of which Yui had been named after. Even their adoptive mother was there. Arael felt guilty as she looked at the picture.  
  
'I do not belong here in their house.' she thought. 'Not after what I have done. How did I get talked into this?' She moved downstairs and felt someone grab her arm. She turned to see Lime firmly attached to her.  
  
"Morning Arael! Did you sleep well?" asked Lime.  
  
"No."  
  
Lime's smile dropped, "Oh. I'm sorry." Lime then perked back up. "Guess what?! Lorelei's here!"  
  
Arael turned and looked at Yui, "Is this true?"  
  
Yui nodded, "Momma and Poppa brought her to the Yggdrasil building. I'm going to take Lime and Cherry over there to meet up with her before Momma and Poppa take them back to Terra 2."  
  
Arael immediately tried to search the heavens for her Brother Angel, Tabris, but she failed to find him. She turned and looked at Yui. "Tabris?"  
  
Yui shook her head.  
  
Arael closed her eyes. "What happens to me now?" she said softly.  
  
"You're to come with me to Yggdrasil as well."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Lorelei stared at the sight before her.  
  
"This is heaven?" she asked in awe.  
  
"Yeah yeah." mumbled Mara, "Lots of green, shiny buildings, and the skies are not cloudy all day."  
  
Asuka smirked at Mara, then took a look around.  
  
"I told them we'd be arriving soon... Where..?  
  
A loud sonic boom interrupted her, followed by a girl's voice.  
  
"LORELEI!!"  
  
Lorelei found herself wrapped up in a hug by a very happy marionette.  
  
"Lime!" shouted Lorelei, wrapping her arms around Lime. Both were soon joined by Cherry. The 3 continued to hold each other and sob. Asuka and Shinji just smiled while Mara made aging noises.  
  
"Seems we are a bit late."  
  
Everyone turned to see Belldandy walking towards them, Sayoko right next to her. Asuka and Shinji nodded to them.  
  
"Ma'am, Sayoko."  
  
Belldandy walked up to Lorelei. "It is a pleasure to finally met you. I am also glad to find you in good health."  
  
"Umm Thanks." said Lorelei, "Who are you?"  
  
"Lorelei," began Sayoko, "This my mother, Belldandy, Goddess Class 0, Type 2 Unlimited. She represents Terra 2 on the Heavenly Council."  
  
Lorelei's eyes widened, "You're in charge of Terra 2."  
  
Belldandy nodded, "I oversee Terra 2. I do not control it." Belldandy looked around, then turned to Lime and Cherry. "Where is Yui and Arael? I believe Sayoko requires their presence."  
  
Lime looked down at the ground, "We got exciting about Lorelei being back, we sort of ran off without them."  
  
Belldandy smiled, "I see."  
  
Yui and Arael arrived at that moment, both looking as if they had tried to keep up with the marionettes.  
  
"Sorry..we're late.Belldandy-sama." said Yui, out of breathe.  
  
"Don't worry." said Belldandy, "We haven't waited long."  
  
"Yui." said Asuka, "I trust you behaved yourself?"  
  
Yui quickly stood up straight, "Yes Ma'am."  
  
"Good." smiled Asuka, "Come here and give us a hug."  
  
Yui immediately smiled and ran to her parents. Arael in the meantime stood quietly off to the side, staring in fear at Asuka. Sayoko quietly moved next to her.  
  
"It's alright." Sayoko whispered, "She won't hurt you."  
  
"But she doesn't know who I am." replied Arael, "When she does. she'll."  
  
"She won't."  
  
Asuka and Shinji released their daughter and then looked at Arael.  
  
"So, you are Arael." said Asuka. She held out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you."  
  
Arael reluctantly took the offered hand and shook it. She then quickly released it and backed away from Asuka. She then turned towards Sayoko, giving her a pleading look. Sayoko let out a sigh.  
  
"Yui, Arael and I are going inside. Contact me when you're done visiting with your parents. I have a job for you."  
  
Sayoko then turned and walked towards the building, Arael following quickly behind her.  
  
Lime immediately stood up and began waving. "Bye Bye Sayoko! Arael!"  
  
Sayoko turned and waved back, while Arael continued to look at Asuka. Both then entered the building.  
  
Belldandy then turned and faced Lorelei and the marionettes. "Come with me. I can take you to a place where you can relax." She began to lead them into the building. "You must have had a horrible time in hell."  
  
"Hell isn't that bad." muttered Mara as she followed Belldandy in.  
  
After they had left Asuka turned to Yui. "What's her problem? Tabris didn't have any problems working with us."  
  
Yui looked down at the ground, "Arael has...issues with her past."  
  
"What kind of issues?" asked Shinji.  
  
Yui continued to stare at the ground. "Well..."  
  
"There you are!"  
  
The 3 turned to see Misato walking towards them.  
  
"I was wondering where you two had gone off to!"  
  
Shinji smiled, "We can't always say where we're going."  
  
"Well, at least you've returned in one piece this time." replied Misato, wrapping them both up in a hug.  
  
"HEY!" shouted Asuka, "It's not our fault the demons found a working N2 Mine. So what's up? You usually can't get in this building."  
  
"I got pulled in on a special project." said Misato, "Your mom, Ritsuko, and Maya are in there right now."  
  
"Working on what?" asked Shinji.  
  
"I can't tell you." replied Misato.  
  
Asuka frowned, "Why not?"  
  
"The project is controlled directly by Kami-sama. Only those that need to know have been told."  
  
"Maybe its something to help us against the Angels." said Shinji, "I hear Rei and Touji just barely stopped the 5th with the help of the 16th."  
  
Misato frowned. "I heard they had help from an Angel, but I didn't release they were helped by the one that nearly blew up Rei."  
  
"At least they're helping us." said Asuka, "The 17th and 12th died helping us to get out of hell with Lorelei."  
  
"No matter what they did to you in the past?" asked Misato.  
  
"Tabris really didn't do much around NERV." said Shinji, "He remained hidden until he headed towards Lilith. The 12th didn't do much either, other then suck me into that sea of dirac. I don't know how Rei feels about the 16th, that female Angel.. I don't know which she is. She seems to be avoiding us."  
  
Misato looked at Yui, "She hasn't avoided everyone."  
  
Asuka looked at her daughter, "Yui, do you know which Angel the female is?"  
  
Yui nodded.  
  
"Which one is she?"  
  
"Mom, she's really sorry about what happened. She knows what she did was wrong and is trying to make it up to us. Sayoko forgave her and she is really nice..."  
  
Asuka's eyes narrowed, "Which Angel is she?"  
  
Yui tried several times to speak. Finally, Misato answered.  
  
"Arael is the 15th Angel Asuka."  
  
Asuka slowly turned to look at Misato, "The 15th?"  
  
Misato nodded.  
  
"The snowflake thing in space?"  
  
Misato nodded again.  
  
"The thing that sent down the shaft of light and fucked over my head?"  
  
Nod.  
  
Asuka went strangely quiet.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Sayoko and Arael were almost at the Eva bay when thunder exploded outside the building followed by extremely loud German cursing.  
  
"Look like Asuka has just been told who you are." said Sayoko quietly.  
  
Arael said nothing.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Several hours later.  
"You just had to tell her didn't you?"  
  
Misato glanced at Ritsuko, "I saw no need to keep it from her."  
  
Yui (Shinji's Mom) looked up from the console. "You still could have gone about telling her differently." Yui turned and looked at Ritsuko. "We're ready."  
  
Ritsuko looked over at Maya. "Status?"  
  
"The board is green sempai."  
  
Standing behind Ritsuko were Urd and Mara. Mara looked up at the massive Eva.  
  
"So this is what you've been up too." said Mara.  
  
"Yeah," said Urd, "Just don't go blabbing that we have it. Kami-sama was reluctant to let you see it."  
  
"Yeah well." Mara looked at the screen that showed the entry plug, "I'm not here for hell or Hild. I'm here for her."  
  
Ritsuko turned around and looked at Urd. "We seem to be ready."  
  
Urd nodded. "Proceed."  
  
Ritsuko leaned forward and pressed a button on the console in front of her. A screen flashed to life showing Skuld. Behind her, Arael and Yui (Asuka's daughter) could just be seen.  
  
"We are ready down here." stated Ritsuko.  
  
"The plug has been inserted." replied Skuld, she looked back at Arael who nodded. "We're ready up here."  
  
"Begin start up process." ordered Ritsuko.  
  
"Neural Connections have been made." said Yui (Shinji's mom), "No problems."  
  
"S2 Engine beginning to power up," said Maya, "Power levels at 40% and rising."  
  
"Sync rate steady at.." Yui's eyes widened, "Sync rate is fluctuating!"  
  
"S2 Engine output has jumped to 110% and is continuing to rise!" shouted Maya.  
  
"Shut it down!" shouted Ritsuko.  
  
"I can't! The signals are being rejected!"  
  
A bright glow began to fill up the room, followed by a hum that began to grow louder.  
  
"EVERYONE OUT!" shouted Ritsuko.  
  
Everyone immediately got up and scrambled to leave. Everyone but Urd. She remained in place, looking upwards, a resigned look on her face.  
  
"Not again..."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Outside, the Gods and souls that resided in heaven were moving about their business. Suddenly a loud explosion rocked the city. Everyone turned to see a section of the Yggdrasil building awash in the glow of an explosion. Within seconds the glow vanished. The people of heaven then turned and continued about their business.  
  
In his office, Kami-sama sighed.  
  
"Why must every project that Urd is a part of involve part of this building being blown up?"  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Terra 2.  
  
"Mien Gott en Himmel!" shouted Asuka, "How could they let that creature into heaven!"  
  
Shinji, Touji, and Rei watched Asuka pace back and forth.  
  
"I mean.after all they did to us," continued Asuka, "They come back and ask for forgiveness? Come on!"  
  
Rei sighed, "Look Asuka, I'm not happy the 16th is back, but you don't see me freaking out. Besides, Sayoko was attacked by the Angel as well, and from what you have said the Angel is working by her side."  
  
"I am not Sayoko!" said Asuka.  
  
A knock at the door interrupted them.  
  
"Come in!" shouted Asuka.  
  
The door opened allowing Cherry to enter.  
  
"I was wondering if you needed anything." said Cherry.  
  
"Yeah I need Unit 02 and a Positron gun so I can kick some angel ass!" replied Asuka.  
  
"We're fine Cherry." replied Rei.  
  
"Alright then." Cherry turned around to leave.  
  
"Cherry?" asked Shinji.  
  
"Yes Shinji-sama?" asked Cherry.  
  
"You were up in heaven while we were rescuing Lorelei..Did you ever run into Arael?"  
  
Cherry nodded, "Lime met her in the park and then took her over to Yui-sama and myself." Cherry then looked thoughtfully for a second. "She seemed to be scared of Yui-sama now that I think of it. It was only after Yui talked to her that she seemed to calm down. But she still felt bad about what she did in the past and wanted to speak with the Second Child."  
  
Asuka grunted, "Sure..she'd probably want to see what else was on my mind..."  
  
"What is she like?" asked Rei.  
  
"She's very quiet, and pleasant. But she always seemed sad. She hadn't been able to sleep much because of nightmares."  
  
Asuka smirked, "So there is a God...serves it right."  
  
Shinji looked over at Asuka, "Not all the Angels are that bad. We got along with Tabris fairly well."  
  
A thought ran through Asuka's mind. "Tabris..." Asuka leaned back in the chair.  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"He told me that something from the past would come back to haunt me, and before I acted, to listen to talk to her. At first I didn't understand..." Asuka looked back over to Shinji, "But now I do. Maybe I will talk to her."  
  
Touji stared stunned at Asuka, "Wait a second! After you've been down here cursing and screaming about how that Angel made your life hell..all of a sudden you change your mind and decide to talk to her?!?!" Touji shook his head, "I can't believe you can change your mind that quickly."  
  
"I can.." muttered Shinji.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
A few hours later  
  
Lorelei leaned against the railing and looked out over Japoness.  
  
"Enjoying the view?"  
  
Lorelei turned to see Tiger standing in the doorway.  
  
"After seeing nothing but caves and bedrock, open sky is a blessing." replied Lorelei.  
  
Tiger walked over and stood next to Lorelei. "I suppose it would be. What was it like?"  
  
"Hell?" Lorelei looked back over the city, "It was actually a bit better then being stuck in the computer. But not by much." Lorelei glanced at Tiger. "What happened while I was gone?"  
  
"You know the Angels attacked Gartlant and then Japoness." Tiger pointed to the remains of the 5th Angel that lay just outside the city. "That one caused us the most problems. Faust stayed here with Luchs, Panther, and myself. Otaru and Bloodberry went back to his apartment." Tiger smiled, "We had to force him to go. He kept sitting around here trying to find out anything he could about the attempt to rescue you. I think he like you."  
  
Lorelei blushed slightly, "Most of Terra 2 likes me. I'm the only adult female on the planet."  
  
"I think Otaru sees you differently then the rest of the planet."  
  
Lorelei looked away, "There's nothing I can do about that now.. Besides.he has the girls."  
  
"They are still only Marionettes," said Tiger softly, "Just like me."  
  
Lorelei turned and faced Tiger, "You girls are more then Marionettes. You each have a soul." Lorelei wrapped her arms around Tiger in a hug. "You all have a bit of me in you. In a way, that makes you my daughters."  
  
Tiger returned the hug, "It's good to have you back Lorelei."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Ponta lumbered about the forest watching over her sleeping cubs. Other then the humans, there really wasn't anything else that would go after her cubs, so feared was she. Of course being a 40 story tall monster, there's really nothing else that could take the full grown Ponta. That was why when the strange creature walked through her forest, Ponta moved to investigate. The creature, which was close to her height seemed to be heading for the river. Ponta moved along side of the creature and growled at it.  
  
'My river!'  
  
The creature stopped and turned to face Ponta. It opened its jaws and roared back at the Ponta with glowing red eyes.  
  
Ponta immediately began to retreat.  
  
'Ok. your river.'  
  
Ponta quickly moved back to where her cubs were. The creature in the meantime continued to head towards the river. Once there, it entered the water and began to walk towards the middle where it was deepest. Soon the waters swirled and cover the creature. Within moments, there was no sign that the creature had been there at all.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 


	16. Chapter 15: Marine has returned?

Chapter 15 Marine has returned?  
It moved quickly through the water. It had a mission to accomplish and nothing would prevent it from getting to its destination. Fish and other marine life moved quickly to get out of its way as it swam by. Suddenly it found its progress impeded. It thrashed about trying to free itself from object that it had become entangled in.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
A loud screech echoed across the deck as deck winch struggled to pull in the fish net. Crewmen stood near the back of the ship, waiting to move the fish into the hold.  
  
"STOP!"  
  
A man ran across the deck, waving his hands over his head. "Stop reeling in the net!"  
  
"What's wrong?" asked one of the crew.  
  
"The net must be caught on some rocks." replied the man, "We're not moving."  
  
The ship then lurched to the side, tossing everyone to the deck.  
  
"What the hell?!" the man tried to stand up but was sent to his knees as the ship lurched to the opposite side.  
  
"Something's caught in the net!" shouted one of the crew, "Something big!"  
  
"Cut it lose! Cut the net lose!"  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Suddenly it was free. It immediately looked around for whatever had dare attempted to capture it. Looking up, it spotted the ship immediately.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"Dammit! The nets were nearly full!" shouted the man, "Now we haven't got anything. Set course back to Japoness." The man started to walk away when one of the crew shouted.  
  
"What the hell is that?!?"  
  
The man turned and gasped. Moving towards him was on of the largest sea creatures he had ever seen. It had to be well over 700 feet long and at least 100 feet wide.  
  
And it was heading straight towards his boat.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Asuka sat on a chair on the balcony of Castle Japoness, looking out over the city. It had been quiet for the past day. The view from the castle was beautiful, except for one eyesore. The remains of the 5th Angel still sat on the edge of the city. Touji and Shinji had been talking all morning about the best way to get rid of it.  
  
The sound of the balcony door opening alerted Asuka that she was no longer alone. She turned to see Lorelei walking up to her.  
  
"Mind if I join you?"  
  
Asuka waved her hand, "Pull up a chair."  
  
Lorelei sat down in the chair she had placed next to Asuka. Both enjoyed the view for a few moments longer before Lorelei spoke.  
  
"What's going on Asuka? You seem to have gotten quieter then I remember. Even Rei has been acting weird."  
  
"Rei acting weird," Asuka chuckled, "Boy that brings back memories." Asuka looked over at Lorelei, "Both of us found out something that took us by surprise.".  
  
"What?"  
  
"The Angels." said Asuka, "Specifically, the identities of those two remaining Angels that are helping us."  
  
Lorelei looked at Asuka confused, "But I thought you knew all about the Angels. After all, you faced them before."  
  
"When we faced them before, " began Asuka, "We only knew their numbers, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. Until we faced them, we never even knew what they looked like."  
  
"But how could you see them now and not know who they were?"  
  
"Because they were in human form." replied Asuka, "The only Angel we saw in human form was Tabris." Asuka shook her head, "Actually, I never saw him in person. Shinji, Rei, and Sayoko did. He was also the only one we knew the name of."  
  
"You never tried to look up information on them after you went to heaven?"  
  
"No. None of us did." Asuka sighed and closed her eyes. "The Angel Wars were tough on all of us. When it was all over, we pretty much wanted to forget about Angels and Evas." Asuka let out a small chuckle, "Only the Evas came back to haunt us 8 years after the War had ended. Now the Angels have returned. And with them come painful memories."  
  
"You want to talk about it?"  
  
Asuka opened her eyes and looked at Lorelei, "Armisael tried to fuse with Rei, to become one with her. Rei self-destructed her Eva in order to prevent it from getting Sayoko. She survived thanks to help from one of Sayoko's Aunts, but she was hurt pretty bad."  
  
"That explains why she knocked Armisael flat on his back." said Lorelei, "Now, what's with you and Arael?"  
  
Asuka sighed, "Remember back on Mesopotamia when I said I had a really bad childhood." Lorelei nodded. "The 15th used an attack that caused everything I wanted to forget to come back with vengeance. I ended up in a coma for 3 months, reliving the worst moments of my childhood. Same thing happened to Sayoko, only she wasn't in the coma as long."  
  
"And now that Angel has returned."  
  
Asuka nodded, "I only actually met her just yesterday. Until then I hadn't seen her any sign of her since her arrival." Asuka turned back towards the city. "She was nervous and seemed scared to take my hand." Asuka shook her head. "Of all the Angel I had to shake hands with, I had to shake hands with that Angel."  
  
Lorelei turned towards the city. "Are you still mad at her?"  
  
Asuka was quiet for several moments. "At first I was angry...... no beyond angry. The one Angel that hurt me the most was alive and well. What angered me even more is that several people knew who she was and didn't tell us." Asuka went quiet again. "Actually, maybe that was a good idea. At first I didn't want to work with Tabris, but he ended up being rather pleasant."  
  
"So was Leliel." said Lorelei, "So what changed your mind about Arael?"  
  
"Tabris. Before he died he told me to talk to her before I did acted on what I had learned." Asuka looked up at the sky, "I've changed a lot in the past 500 years since I last fought the Angels, at least I'd like to think I have. Living among Gods and Goddesses will do that to you, especially Sayoko's mother, Belldandy."  
  
Lorelei smiled at the mention of the Elder Goddess, "She seemed to be a very nice and pleasant person."  
  
"Oh she is," said Asuka, "Just don't mess with her family. If you do, she can become a real..."  
  
"Asuka!"  
  
Lorelei and Asuka turned to see Rei at the door.  
  
"What?" asked Asuka.  
  
"You'd better get in here." said Rei, "We have a problem."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
"You see it yet?"  
  
"....."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"It's a giant fish! How can I miss it?!"  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
"Be careful."  
  
"Of course."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"S.O.S.....This is....We are being....giant sea monster...ip is taking on wate...lease respond....OH GOD Noooooooooo....."  
  
"This message was transmitted almost an hour ago." said Luchs, "Based on the information we have, the ship was ....here." she pointed to a spot on the map of the ocean.  
  
Asuka, Rei, Lorelei, Faust, Shinji, and Touji all stood around the map.  
  
"What took so long for the message to get here?" asked Asuka.  
  
"Japoness Coast Guard went out to investigate and rescue." said Luchs, "They reached this point." Luchs pointed at another spot between the ship location and Japoness. "..and then they too vanished."  
  
"What could sink those ships?" asked Lorelei.  
  
Shinji glanced over at Asuka, who nodded. "An Angel. Most likely the 6th."  
  
Faust frowned, "It's heading this way."  
  
Luchs nodded, "It would seem so."  
  
"How long till it arrives here?"  
  
"I estimate we have 40 minutes at its rate of speed."  
  
"40 minutes." repeated Asuka, "That not much time." She turned and looked at the others. "Shinji and I will go to the shore and confront the Angel. You two and the Angel will be our back up."  
  
Touji nodded. Rei frowned but didn't say anything.  
  
Asuka looked back at Faust and Lorelei. "Put the remaining Sabers on Alert. If that thing gets ashore, we'll need everything we have to stop it from reaching the castle."  
  
"How is a giant fish going to reach the castle?" asked Luchs.  
  
"When it comes to Angels, they always do the last thing you'd expect."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
It moved quickly towards its destination. Nothing would stand between it and its goal.  
  
Just ahead of it, another lay in waiting for the creature's arrival.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
50 minutes later.  
  
Shinji and Asuka were now openly pacing along the shore. The Angel was late.  
  
"Where the hell is it?!" shouted Asuka, "It should have been here by now!"  
  
"Maybe it ran into something that's slowing it down?"  
  
"Baka! What on this planet is going to slow down an Angel?!?!"  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
It was losing. It didn't know where it foe had appeared from, but it knew it could last against it. In desperation it opened its mouth to try and bite its tormentor.  
  
That was exactly what its foe had been waiting for.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
A bright flash was out over the sea. Asuka and Shinji covered their eyes for a moment. When they could see again, they saw a massive mushroom cloud in the distance. After several more seconds, the rumble of the explosion reached them. They both looked at each other, but nothing needed to be said.  
  
Something else had killed the Angel.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Rei was sitting on the roof of castle Japoness, waiting for word of the Angel. While she waited, she enjoyed the view of the city. She was distracted from the view when a shadow moved over her. Rei let out a resigned sigh as she released who it was.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Armisael stopped where he was. He hadn't expected her to notice him this quickly.  
  
"I just wish to talk." He said.  
  
"About what?"  
  
Armisael walked over and sat down on the roof, sitting a respectful distance from Rei.  
  
"I am just curious..about why you chose to die rather then becoming one with me?"  
  
"Up until that day, I had believed I was replaceable." said Rei, "When you fused with the Eva and forced your way into me, I felt more pain then I had ever felt before. When I saw Sayoko's Eva appear.....she did not need to feel what I was going through. So I chose to end it there, knowing I could be replaced."  
  
"But if you had joined with me you would have been able to return to Father with me."  
  
"And all of the 'Lilim' would have died." replied Rei, "As would eventually those in the Heavens and Hell."  
  
"But they would all have become one."  
  
"And they would lose their individuality." Rei turned and stared at Armisael. "Everything that makes a person unique would be lost."  
  
Armisael was quiet for several moments. "You said you believed you were replaceable. What changed your mind?"  
  
"Seconds before the Eva exploded, Sayoko's Aunts rescued me. That they would risk themselves for me, it made me realize that maybe I wasn't replaceable." Rei looked back over the city. "I had all of my clones destroyed later that week."  
  
"So now you are no longer replaceable." replied Armisael, "Would you still sacrifice yourself for your friends?"  
  
Rei glanced at the Angel, "In a heartbeat."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It is difficult to explain." replied Rei, "But mainly they are my family, and I would do anything to make sure they survive."  
  
A bright flash then appeared from out over the Ocean. Both Rei and Armisael turned and watched the mushroom cloud drift upwards from the source of the explosion.  
  
"I must go." said Rei. She quickly vanished.  
  
Armisael remained on the roof a bit longer. He was about to leave when he felt it. The use of the Light of the Soul, what the Lilim called an AT- Field. He turned and looked off into the city.  
  
"Bardiel." He said softly. "So you too have come."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Tamasaburo moved quickly from rooftop to rooftop. She watched as the men of Japoness continued to move away from the shore in preparation for the Angel's arrival. Everything seemed to be moving smoothly, when something caught her eye. Something was moving along a darkened alley towards the shore. Tamasaburo began to move towards it.  
  
"I am moving to investigate an alley along the evacuation route." reported Tamasaburo.  
  
"Understood." came Baiko's response.  
  
Tamasaburo dropped into the alley and moved quickly to the area she saw movement. She arrived quickly and looked about. Because of the location of the sun and the height of the buildings, the much of the alley was dark. It became even darker the further she moved in. Her eyes flickered slightly as she engaged her low light vision. She moved in deeper, but still was unable to see any sign of movement.  
  
"Tamasaburo. Report." came Baiko's voice.  
  
Tamasaburo was about to reply when the shadows came alive. Blackness swarmed over Tamasaburo, and began seep into her seems. Within seconds the blackness was gone, leaving Tamasaburo standing motionless in the alley.  
  
"Tamasaburo! Report!" came Baiko's voice more forcefully.  
  
"I have nothing to report." Tamasaburo replied, "The Alley is clear."  
  
"Understood. Return to the castle for new orders."  
  
"Affirmative." Tamasaburo turned and walked from the alley.  
  
Her eyes glowed red.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Asuka paced back and forth along the docks. Shinji and Rei stood nearby watching.  
  
"What could have destroyed that Angel?" Asuka asked, "There's nothing on this Planet that could even hurt them!"  
  
"There is still much about this planet that even we don't know." replied Rei, "Perhaps it was Plasma."  
  
"There hasn't been Plasma activity on this planet in several months." said Asuka.  
  
"What else could it be?" asked Shinji, "Like you said, there's nothing else that could hurt the Angels."  
  
With a flash, Armisael appeared.  
  
"We have a problem." He said, "One of my brothers is here."  
  
Asuka waved her hand at him. "Yeah yeah we know. Don't worry. He just got nailed somewhere out at sea."  
  
"Not Gaghiel. Bardiel. I just sensed him inside Japoness."  
  
"Alright, I give. Which one was Bardiel?"  
  
"The 13th."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Tamasaburo moved quickly to the castle and entered. She moved purposefully into the room where she and Baiko underwent repairs and maintenance. Baiko looked up from her computer terminal.  
  
"The Angel that was heading here has been...."  
  
That was as far as she got before Tamasaburo pulled out her energy blade and slashed Baiko in half. Tamasaburo quickly moved Baiko out of the way and then sat down at the computer terminal. After several minutes she got up and headed towards another area of the castle.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"So you're saying the Angel that took over my Eva is here?" asked Asuka.  
  
"I fairly sure that is what I just said."  
  
Asuka's eyes narrowed, "Stop that. You sound like Wondergirl."  
  
Both Rei and Shinji frowned at that.  
  
"I'm sorry Rei I didn't mean it like that." Asuka turned back to Armisael. "So where is he?"  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"I got it."  
  
"I noticed."  
  
"How?"  
  
".... I did alright."  
  
"Should we tell them?"  
  
"No. They are.. Occupied. This is one they should be able to handle. I'm waiting for something bigger."  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"Well is she just gonna sit there with you?"  
  
"For now..yes. She'll join up with you before I launch."  
  
"Alright. Just be careful when you fire that thing up..It has one hell of a backfire."  
  
"Funny...really funny."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Tamasaburo moved through the hallways of the castle. She passed many of the castle workers, who took no notice of her. She was about to reach her destination when....  
  
"Tama-chan!"  
  
Tamasaburo stopped and turned just in time to be wrapped up in a hug from a marionette. Information quickly flashed before her eyes.  
  
'Saber Marionette JSM-01L (Lime) Maiden Circuit present'  
  
"Hello Lime." Tamasaburo said, "How can I help you?"  
  
Lime smiled, "Didn't need anything. Just saying Hi."  
  
Tamasaburo frowned, "Do not bother me unless you need something." She turned and started walking away.  
  
Lime looked at Tamasaburo confused. "Um. Tama-chan? Where's Baiko-chan?"  
  
"She is currently receiving maintenance." replied Tamasaburo angrily, "And don't call me Tama-chan! Now leave me alone I have work to do." She turned a corner and vanished.  
  
Lime stared at the spot where Tamasaburo had stood.  
  
'That wasn't like Tama-chan. She never gets mad.' thought Lime, 'I'd better tell Lorelei. She needs to fix Tama-chan.'  
  
Lime quickly left in search of Lorelei.  
  
Meantime, Tamasaburo arrived at her destination. She stood before the massive door. She then turned and moved to the keypad on the wall. She quickly entered several code combinations, all ended with an error. Tamasaburo snarled and punched the wall. She then took several steps back away from the door. Black ooze poured forth from her, pooling on the floor. Tamasaburo's body wavered slightly, before finally dropping to the floor. The ooze immediately began to move, sliding into the door slide and into the room beyond.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Lorelei looked up at Lime.  
  
"Tamasaburo's broken?"  
  
"Yeah." replied Lime, "she wasn't acting like herself at all. She even got mad at me."  
  
That got Lorelei's attention. "She got mad? Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Lorelei quickly got up and headed towards the door. "Come with me Lime."  
  
Lime followed Lorelei into the meeting room. Otaru, Faust, and Touji were sitting there, watching the display.  
  
"We may have a problem." Lorelei said as she entered.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Otaru.  
  
"Lime says Tamasaburo got mad at her."  
  
Faust and Otaru stared at her.  
  
Touji shrugged. "So she got mad. So what?"  
  
"You don't understand," said Faust, "Tamasaburo can't get mad. The Imperial Guard don't have Maiden Circuits."  
  
Touji frowned, "So how could she get mad?"  
  
"That is a good question." replied Lorelei. She walked over to the table and flipped up the computer. The main display changed to show a diagram of the castle. "The Imperial Guard were designed primarily to defend the Shogun and the castle, with a secondary purpose of policing the city. In order to find them in an emergency, they both have tracers embedded in them."  
  
Two dots appeared on the display, each in a separate location.  
  
"Baiko appears to be in the repair bay." said Lorelei, "But Tamasaburo is...." Lorelei's eyes widened. "What is she doing there?"  
  
"What?" asked Otaru, "Where is she?"  
  
Lorelei turned around and looked at Lime, "She's in front of Marine's door."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Three figures stood quietly on a hill overlooking Japoness.  
  
"Sachiel? Gaghiel is gone." said one.  
  
Sachiel barely acknowledged him.  
  
"What shall we do?" asked the other.  
  
Sachiel turned and looked at his remaining brothers. "Bardiel has reached his objective. He is doing his part, as will we."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Lorelei, Otaru, Faust, Lime, and Touji raced down the hallways to the room where Marine was kept. Faust was speaking into a radio.  
  
"Understood." Faust glanced at Lorelei, "Tiger and Panther say Baiko has been disabled."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Apparently, she was sliced in half."  
  
"Tamasaburo?"  
  
"She does have an energy sword."  
  
They rounded the corner and then stopped. Laying on the floor in front of them was Tamasaburo.  
  
Faust raised a small device. "She's deactivated."  
  
He and Lorelei then went to Tamasaburo's side. The marionette stared at them with blank eyes.  
  
"I don't see any signs of external damage." said Lorelei, looking the marionette over. "Maybe a programming error?"  
  
Faust shook his head, "The maintenance computers would have noticed it. This is something else."  
  
"But why would she come here?"  
  
"Um..Lorelei?"  
  
Lorelei looked up at Otaru. He was pointing towards the keypad, and the fist shaped hole right above it. "You think she was trying to get in?"  
  
"Why would she want to get in there?" asked Touji, "Is there anything important behind that door?"  
  
"Marine is in there." said Lorelei.  
  
"Who is Marine?"  
  
"She's my friend." said Lime. Her face dropped. "She was my best friend."  
  
"She was also a prototype for a New Texas Marionette program using Plasma." said Faust, "She also had a prototype of a Maiden Circuit. She was disabled several months ago."  
  
WHAM!  
  
Everyone looked up.  
  
"What the hell was that?" asked Touji.  
  
WHAM!  
  
The door next to them had developed a fist shaped dent.  
  
"It can't be!" said Faust, "She's deactivated."  
  
Lime raced up to the door. "Marine?!"  
  
WHAM!  
  
"It's Marine! She's awake!" said Lime happily.  
  
"She can't be Lime." said Lorelei, "She was too badly damaged."  
  
"Whoever it is," said Touji, "It wants out."  
  
WHAM!  
  
"What should we do?" asked Otaru.  
  
"Let Marine out!" shouted Lime.  
  
"Do you have anything to .." Touji's voice trailed off. His eyes then widened.  
  
"MOVE!!" he shouted, grabbing Lorelei and Lime and pushing them down the hall away from the door.  
  
The door glowed and seemed to twist outward. It blew with explosive force, but instead of fire and smoke, the crackle of an orange hexagonal field appeared.  
  
"It's an Angel!" shouted Touji, "RUN!"  
  
Lime continued to stare at the doorway as a figure exited. Standing just in the corridor, exactly as she remembered, was Marine.  
  
"Marine!" Lime shouted happily.  
  
It was then she saw something she did not remember. Marine turned to face her and opened her eyes.  
  
They glowed red. 


	17. Chapter 16: Resurrection

Chapter 16  
  
Resurrection  
Lorelei, Otaru, Faust, Lime, and Touji stared at the red eyed marionette that stood before them.  
  
"Marine!" shouted Lime happily, "You're alive!"  
  
"Lime!" shouted Lorelei, "It's not Marine! It's an Angel!"  
  
Lime did not pay attention. "Marine!"  
  
Touji pulled out is staff. It's end split into the twin fork of a Lance of Longinus. "Lime, move."  
  
Lime turned and saw Touji readying his lance.  
  
"No!!" she cried and grabbed hold of the lance, fighting Touji for it.  
  
"Let go Lime!" shouted Touji.  
  
"No!! I won't let you hurt Marine!"  
  
"It's not Marine Lime!" shouted Otaru.  
  
"It is Marine! It is!"  
  
"LOOK OUT!" screamed Lorelei.  
  
Marine had raised her arms, plasma flowing into her from the ground. She took aim and fired at the group.  
  
"Damn!" shouted Touji. He released the lance and raised his shield. The plasma slammed into his shield, creating a massive explosion. The resulting blast sent men, woman, marionette, and rubble flying.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Part of Castle Japoness shattered in an explosion of rock and fire. From their hillside perch, the 3 Angels, Sachiel, Shamshel, and Zeruel, watched in fascination as rubble from the castle crashed into nearby buildings, causing more destruction.  
  
"Bardiel did not waste anytime." said Zeruel.  
  
"The Guardians will concentrate on his position." added Shamshel.  
  
"Then we must divide their attention." said Sachiel, "We act now."  
  
The other 2 Angels nodded. All three then vanished.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Asuka, Rei, Shinji, and Armisael whirled about as the castle erupted.  
  
"What the hell was that!" shouted Asuka.  
  
"Bardiel most likely." replied Armisael.  
  
"Well let's go stop him!" Asuka started to head towards the castle, but released she wasn't being followed. She turned and looked at the others. "Well?!"  
  
Armisael was the only one looking at her, a look of confusion and possibly fear on his face. Shinji and Rei both seemed to be staring off into space.  
  
"What the hell is so damn interesting that you.." Asuka had turned toward the direction they had been looking. Her voice then trailed off as she took in the sight.  
  
"Oh." She said softly.  
  
Slowly floating down towards the city were 2 Angels. One she recognized immediately as the 14th Angel, the one that had easily defeated her and Rei. The other she was not able to identify.  
  
"3 Angels at once." said Asuka, "This should be fun...."  
  
"Difficult.." added Rei, "We will have to split our attention."  
  
"I'm afraid it's worse." said Armisael. He pointed towards the shore.  
  
Rising from the sea was another Angel.  
  
"The 3rd Angel." said Shinji.  
  
"I'll take the 14th." said Asuka, "Rei. you take the squid thing..."  
  
"The 4th Angel." said Rei.  
  
"Whatever. it's yours. Shinji, looks like the 3rd gets a rematch. Touji will have to take Bardiel on his own. Armisael, you will assist as needed. They must stay out of the city." Asuka took a deep breathe, then looked at Shinji. "Be careful."  
  
"You too." replied Shinji.  
  
The three Guardians leaped from the ground and flew at their targets, leaving Armisael alone to watch.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Rubble and debris filled the corridor of the castle. Suddenly one of the larger pieces began to shake, then stop, only to begin shaking moments later. Suddenly it flew from its spot, landing further down the corridor. Touji slowly rose from the hole, followed by Lorelei, Otaru, and Faust. Touji looked down the corridor, then turned and looked up the other direction.  
  
"Where the hell did it go?" Touji wondered out loud.  
  
"Maybe it got buried?" asked Otaru hopefully.  
  
"Doubtful." Touji took another look around, then closed his eyes. * Yo Shinji! *  
  
Shinji's reply was slow in coming. * I'm a little busy here. *  
  
* Well I just ran into an Angel possessed Marionette. And I seem to have lost it. *  
  
* Asuka, Rei and I are playing with its bigger brothers. You'll have to handle it on your own. *  
  
"Damn." muttered Touji. A loud creak came from above. Touji and the others looked up. "We'd better get out of here. Looks like more of this area could collapse."  
  
Suddenly Lorelei began looking around. "Where's Lime?!"  
  
Otaru looked down into the hole they had crawled from. "She's not down there! Where could she be?"  
  
"She probably is under the rubble." Touji grabbed some of the rubble and began to move it, soon join by Faust and Otaru. "Also if you happen to see my lance, that could help us, Lime was still holding it."  
  
Another creak came from down the corridor. Lorelei looked to see another large piece of debris moving.  
  
"Could that be Lime?" she asked.  
  
With a crackle of energy, a hexagonal field began to form, slowly disintegrating the rubble.  
  
"No, that is most certainly not Lime." said Touji, "We need to leave. Now!"  
  
"But Lime!"  
  
Touji grabbed Lorelei and pulled her over to where Otaru and Faust were standing.  
  
"We'll find her later." With that, all 4 vanished from the corridor.  
  
The AT-Field having done its work, a marionette's fist ripped through the rubble, followed by the rest of Marine. The green haired marionette looked at her surroundings. A smile then appeared on her face and she began walking. Her feet crunched on broken plaster, rocks, pieces of wood, and other debris. Unnoticed by Marine, one of the pieces began to move.  
  
It was a hand, which quickly clenched into a fist.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"They are attacking. All of them."  
  
"4 at once? They aren't playing around anymore."  
  
"I don't think you understand. They do not play.."  
  
'sigh' "Arael, we have to work on understanding sarcasm. Now go to Yui. She'll be going to the castle soon."  
  
"Understood. What will you do?"  
  
"I'll be right here, to fire up this thing when it is needed."  
  
"But how will setting it on fire help?"  
  
'sigh' "Never mind. Just go."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Explosions blasted away around the 14th Angel. Several times a fireball appeared in the sky, followed by the familiar hexagonal pattern of an AT- Field.  
  
Asuka glared at the Angel. She then raised her hand. With a flash, her lance appeared. She carefully aimed and threw the lance. The lance ripped through the sky and crashed into the AT-Field. The Field flared for several moments as the lance seemed to freeze in place. Then the field collapsed, allowing the lance to impact against the Angel's core.  
  
"YES!" shouted Asuka. She then waited for the expected explosion.  
  
It never came.  
  
The Angel sent one of it's ribbon arms at her. Asuka quickly ducked it, then dove to the side as the other arm flew at her. She dodged the arms several more times. The Angel, apparently getting tired of this, tracked her with it's eyes, which began to glow. Asuka dodged one final arm attack, when the Angel fired it's eye beam at her. The beam slammed into a hastily erected shield surrounding Asuka. The field flickered several times before being overwhelmed by the beam. Asuka screamed in agony as the beam, weakened from smashing through the shield, hit her. She fell from the sky, landing hard on the ground. Asuka slowly raised herself up on her elbows. The Angel loomed over her. It pulled back its ribbon arm and was about to let it fly when a glowing tube slammed into its AT-Field, knocking flat on its back. Asuka watched as the tube arced across the sky before it slammed into the 3rd Angel as well. Within seconds, Shinji appeared by her side. He quickly picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. He then vanished.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Rei dodged left and right as the 4th Angel's tentacles whipped about in an effort to hit her. So far none of her attempts to defeat the Angel had worked. Her lance now laid shattered in two on the ground below. It had been a lucky strike by the Angel's tentacles that had destroyed it. She wondered how the others were doing. She could hear explosions as well as the sounds of huge feet impacting on the ground. Suddenly Rei was hit by waves of agony coming from Asuka. Seeing Rei distracted, the 4th Angel renewed its attack. One of its tentacles caught Rei, slamming against her back. She fell to the ground, unconscious. The Angel moved in to finish her off when a large rock hit it. The Angel turned to see a red hair marionette standing next to a large pile of rocks.  
  
"HEY!!" shouted Bloodberry, "OVER HERE!!"  
  
The Angel launched a tentacle at the marionette. The marionette leaped out of the way and began to run, leading the Angel away from Rei. While this was going on, Cherry quickly moved in and lifted Rei and began heading back to the castle. Her actions did not go unnoticed. Two figures watched Cherry as she maneuvered her burden through the streets. Both glanced at each other before vanishing.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Lorelei, Otaru, and Faust stared at the screen in the command center. It was here that they had planned the mission to prevent the massive plasma storm. Now they watched as the 3 Angels moved in to destroy Japoness. It was the location of the fourth that worried them.  
  
"Any sign of it?" asked Faust.  
  
Luchs, how was sitting at the control terminal, shook her head. "Negative. Most of the sensors in the castle are down. Those that remain can find no trace of Mari.of the Angel. The remaining Japoness Sabers are continuing to search."  
  
Tiger and Panther then walked in.  
  
"You can forget about Baiko for the time being." said Tiger, "It'll it take days before she is repaired."  
  
A bright flash filled the room as Shinji appeared, carrying Asuka. Otaru moved to help him place Asuka in a chair.  
  
"What happened?" Otaru asked.  
  
"Our lances didn't work." replied Shinji, "Their just too small to handle a full sized Angel." He indicated Asuka. "She got hurt when the Angel overwhelmed her shield."  
  
Asuka let out a sigh. "Now I see why they had a tough time defeating them back then."  
  
Armisael then appeared. "I have caused my brothers to fall back some, but they are too powerful for me to eliminate on my own."  
  
"We need an Eva." muttered Asuka.  
  
"We don't have any." said Shinji, "Unit 01 is just armor and bones now."  
  
The sound of rapidly approaching squeaky footsteps caused everyone to turn to the door. Cherry soon appeared, carrying an unconscious Rei.  
  
"Bloodberry's trying to lead the Angels away." She said. She then laid Rei gently down next to Asuka.  
  
"Great," mumbled Asuka, "This is not going well at all."  
  
"I'm afraid its worse now." Came a new voice.  
  
Now standing in the doorway was the Angel-possessed Marine, plasma crackling about her. Touji and Shinji quickly raised their hands and fire force bolts at the Angel, all with no effect. The marionette raised its arms and fired plasma at the 2 Guardians. The plasma tore through the hastily erected shields and knocked Touji and Shinji across the room into Faust, Otaru and Armisael.  
  
"LORD FUAST!/MASTER OTARU" shouted the 4 Marionettes. The Saber dolls then turned and charged at Marine/Bardiel. Marine/Bardiel easily tossed them aside. She then turned towards Lorelei, Cherry now the only remaining obstacle.  
  
"Now.." said Marine/Bardiel, "With your death, this lilim world will begin to collapse into chaos, marking the start of our revenge against the heavens." She slowly raised her arm towards Lorelei, Cherry still trying to move between Lorelei and the blast. Asuka tried to concentrate in order to block the coming shot with a shield, but her wounds continued to distract her. A ball of plasma began to form in Marine/Bardiel's hand. Cherry's eyes widened as a wicked smile appeared on the Angel's face.  
  
The smile changed into one of shock as Marine/Bardiel let the plasma dissipate. The reason for her shock became apparent when Cherry glanced at the Marionette's chest. Two prongs stuck out, roughly where the core was. Behind the Marionette, a battered and bruised Lime stood angrily, her hands still tightly gripping the lance. Marine/Bardiel slowly turned her head towards Lime.  
  
"You hurt Otaru!" Lime said quietly, tears beginning to form in her eyes.  
  
Marine/Bardiel's eyes began to flicker, fading from Red to a purple.  
  
"Thank you....Lime."  
  
Lime's eyes widened. "Marine?"  
  
Marine smiled at Lime as color began to fade from her eyes, "Let's..all..go to the sea...together.."  
  
Marine's eyes went dark and she fell to the floor, lifeless.  
  
Lime stared in shock at the fallen Marionette before collapsing beside it.  
  
"Noooooooooooooooo!!!" she cried, grabbing Marine and holding her tightly to her. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she held her fallen friend.  
  
Bloodberry came racing in through the doorway and took in the sight. Any question she had was lost as she watched Lime cry. Off to the side, Armisael watched, his face revealing nothing.  
  
A loud explosion and the flickering of castle lights brought everyone's attention back to other matters.  
  
"The Angel's are about to enter the city." said Luchs.  
  
"We need a plan.now" said Asuka weakly.  
  
"What can we do?" said Lorelei, "You 4 can't do anything. You're the only one awake." She pointed at Armisael. "Even he is unable to stop them. We need a miracle."  
  
A sudden bright flash filled the room. When it faded, it left two new figures. One was Yui, the other Arael.  
  
"YUI!" shouted Asuka, "What are you doing here?!" Asuka glared at Arael, "And with her!"  
  
"Don't be mad Mom." said Yui, "Auntie Sayoko brought me here to help."  
  
Another explosion rocked the castle.  
  
"Sayoko shouldn't have done that!" said Asuka, "We're under attack here!"  
  
"But that's why we're here!"  
  
Another explosion.  
  
"Hold on Mom." Yui reached into her robe and pulled out a small device. She pressed a button and waited.  
  
"Yes?" came a voice from the device.  
  
"We need more time." said Yui, "Can you slow down the Angels?"  
  
Muffled voices could be heard discussing something before it cleared.  
  
"We think we can give you 5 minutes..maybe."  
  
"That will help." replied Yui. She then closed the device.  
  
The others stared at her confused.  
  
"What did you do?" asked Asuka.  
  
"You'll see." said Yui.  
  
"Oh my god.." came Lorelei's voice.  
  
Everyone turned to the screen. On it, the three Angels stood together, beginning to move over the city wall. Suddenly the sky light up as a massive circle of light appeared. The light focused itself downward on the Angels, holding them in a column of light.  
  
"What is that?" asked Luchs.  
  
"The Ultimate Termination program." said Asuka, stunned.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Yggdrasil Control  
  
"Target locked." shouted Chronos from her terminal.  
  
Peorth glanced to her were Belldandy stood. "Well?"  
  
"Permission to fire granted." Belldandy said calmly.  
  
Peorth nodded and brought her hand down on the trigger.  
  
"Gungir is away!" shouted X.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
The circle in the sky seemed to implode for several moments before it sent forth a massive energy ball. The ball hurtled downward towards the Angels, picking up speed as it fell. It collided with the Angel's AT-Field. Sparks flew as the two energy's fought against the other, neither gaining dominance over the other.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"That is not going to stop them." said Arael quietly.  
  
"But it will slow them down long enough for Sayoko to get moving." replied Yui.  
  
"Where is she?" asked Asuka.  
  
Yui looked at her mother nervously. "She's been on planet the last few days, along with Arael and me."  
  
Shinji and Touji, having untangled themselves from Faust and Otaru, moved beside Asuka.  
  
"She's been here the last few days and she didn't tell us?" asked Shinji.  
  
"Belldandy-sama thought you might encounter problems." said Yui, "So we came down as part of the back-up plan."  
  
"Back-up plan?" asked Lorelei.  
  
Before Yui could answer her communicator chirped. She quickly pulled it out. "Yes?"  
  
"Better hurry up." came Peorth's voice, "Gungir is beginning to dissipate. Tell Sayoko to get going."  
  
"Right." Yui hit another button on her communicator, "Aunt Sayoko? Peorth thinks its time."  
  
"Finally!" came Sayoko's reply" Time to show Terra 2 how we used to defeat the Angels, Tokyo-3 style!"  
  
Asuka and Shinji glanced at each other, before turning to Yui.  
  
Yui just smiled.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Sayoko sat inside a darkened tube. Her hands quickly moved over the controls.  
  
"LCL filling entry plug intake." Sayoko stated, "Beginning activation. Nerve link-ups commencing. Synchronization start. S2 to full power."  
  
Around her the walls of the tube began to swirl in a multitude of colors.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Yui and Arael stood patiently on the balcony of Castle Japoness. Behind them stood the others, except Lime who remained by the fallen Marine.  
  
"What exactly are we waiting for?" asked Bloodberry.  
  
"What ever it is, it'd better be quick." Luchs pointed to were the 3 Angels were still struggling against Gungir. "The Angels are almost free."  
  
A shudder went through the castle.  
  
"What was that?" asked Panther.  
  
"LOOK!" shouted Otaru.  
  
A spot on the Japoness river had begun to glow and bubble. The castle began to shudder continuously as the water began to froth and boil. With a roar a massive cross explosion burst from the water. Beneath it, a figure began to rise from the depths. Two massive silver wings broke the surface, followed by a head. As the shoulders cleared the water, a panel on it announced its name to the world.  
  
EVA 4.  
  
"Where have they been hiding that?" asked Touji stunned.  
  
"What is it?" asked Otaru.  
  
"One of the most feared weapons in history." said Lorelei, "An Evangelion."  
  
Unit 04 finally stopped its upward movement, standing straight and tall over Japoness. At the same moment, the 3 Angels freed themselves from the last remmenants of Gungir. The 3 turned and immediately spotted the Evangelion.  
  
"Hello there." came Sayoko's voice from the communicator, "I'm the 5th Child, I don't think we had the pleasure meeting before... Let me introduce myself properly."  
  
With a loud roar, Eva 04 raised its arms to the heavens and crouched, before leaping into the air. It was nearly 500 feet up before it sprouted its wings and began circling the Angels. It was then Shinji noticed the object in the Evas hands.  
  
"Hey, isn't that.."  
  
"The Lance of Longinus?" finished Asuka.  
  
Letting out another roar, Eva 04 plunged downward. It slammed into the 14th Angel. sending it tumbling across the ground. It quickly stood up and plunged the Lance deep into the 4th Angel's core. The 4th fell back, twitching violently, but Eva 04 ignored it, turning instead towards the 3rd. A massive explosion obscured the view of the battle from the castle. When the blast had cleared away, the Angel and the Eva were locked in a titanic battle, both trying to force the other to the ground.  
  
"Gee.She makes it look so easy." said Panther.  
  
"Maybe we should have asked for her help sooner." said Bloodberry, "She's only been fighting them a minute or so and she already has knocked out one and eliminated a second."  
  
"Oh shut up!" shouted Asuka, turning to face the Marionettes, "If I had an Eva I would have taken out all three at once!"  
  
Shinji and Touji just smiled at her comment. Even Arael had a small smile on her face that quickly vanished. She grabbed the communicator from Yui.  
  
"SAYOKO BEHIND YOU!"  
  
The Eva's head turned to see the 14th Angel had gotten up and moved into a position behind her. The 14th's arms fired out. The Eva tried to move out of the way by dodging to the left, but was grappled by the 3rd Angel. The ribbon arm of the 14th slammed into the Eva, slicing deep into the right chest area, and bursting out of its back. For several long moments, the Angels and the Eva seemed frozen. Then the 14th slowly retrieved its arm. As the arm left the Eva, purple blood spilled out onto the ground, along with an orange fluid. The three former Eva pilots went pale as they realized what that fluid was.  
  
"Sayoko!" shouted Yui into the communicator, "Auntie can you hear me?"  
  
Her only reply was static. 


	18. Chapter 17: Redemption

Chapter 17  
  
Redemption  
Eva 04 crashed to the ground, it's lifeblood and LCL oozing out into the fields outside Japoness. The 14th Angel let out a roar of victory then turned with the 3rd and looked towards Japoness, now defenseless.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Otaru, Lorelei, Faust, and the rest stood stunned on the balcony. The only sounds heard was the frantic calls of Yui.  
  
"SAYOKO!! ANSWER ME!" shouted Yui.  
  
"She's gone." said Asuka quietly.  
  
"She can't be Momma. She just can't be."  
  
"Shouldn't that Eva be going berserk about now?" asked Touji.  
  
"It won't." said Shinji quietly, "Her mother isn't inside anymore."  
  
"So how do we stop them now?" asked Otaru.  
  
Asuka began to scan the battle area. "Somewhere, around there is the Lance of Longinus. We can use that."  
  
Armisael immediately stepped forward. "I will slow them down while you look." He then vanished.  
  
Shinji turned to Touji, "Come on. We have a Lance to find."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Armisael reappeared over his brothers in his tube form. He circled overhead, watching them. Both were weakened from their battle with the shadow of Adam, the light of their souls dimmed somewhat, but they would eventually recover. Unless he did something about it. He quickly dove, aiming for Sachiel. Sachiel never even knew what hit him as Armisael ripped through the chest of the 3rd Angel, just missing the core. Sachiel collapsed to the ground, but remained very much alive. He was, for the moment, no longer a threat. Nearby, Armisael spotted the 2 male Guardians flying about, trying to find the great Lance. The Angel turned back just in time to see the Zeruel's ribbon arm soaring at him. He quickly dove and moved out of the way. He then charged at his brother, trying to eliminated him as plunged toward his brother's core. Instead he bounced off of the small clamshell doors that sealed off the core. Not wanting to fall victim to the razor sharp arms this close, Armisael wrapped himself around Zeruel, preventing him from using his arms. This did not prevent Zeruel from moving about as he tried to remove Armisael from his person.  
  
* Arael. * called out Armisael, * Tell them they need to hurry. I cannot hold him for long. *  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Touji and Shinji frantically searched for the Lance.  
  
"It's 50 stories long!" shouted Touji, "How the hell are we missing it?"  
  
Shinji pulled out his communicator, "Luchs, Cherry. Do either of you know where the Lance ended up?"  
  
"Negative." came Luchs reply, "The Lance was obscured by the explosion."  
  
"Can't you estimate?"  
  
"Not enough information to provide an estimation."  
  
Shinji turned off his communicator. "Great."  
  
A loud roar caused them to turn back to the battle between the Angels. Even with Armisael wrapped around it, the 14th continued to fight and move closer to the city. Suddenly the Angel moved its head and fired off several eye blasts. Cross explosions went off in several areas of Japoness.  
  
"Time's up." said Touji, "I don't think we're gonna make it."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Armisael watched as Zeruel continued to fire on the city. Below he could see people running about, trying to avoid the destruction that was slowly approaching. He watched as people ran towards the burning wreckage of homes, pulling out those who were injured. In several spots, he saw children crying over the bodies of their fallen fathers.  
  
'Unless Zeruel is stopped,' thought Armisael, 'everyone here will die.'  
  
He then made his choice.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Arael watched with the others, helpless to stop her brothers onslaught against the city.  
  
* Arael. *  
  
Arael jumped slightly as Armisael called out to her. She closed her eyes.  
  
* Yes brother? *  
  
* Tell the First Child..I understand now. Good-bye, my sister. *  
  
Arael frowned. * What do you mean good-bye? *  
  
She received no reply.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Armisael moved one of his ends outward, then brought it back in, catching Zeruel off guard and slamming into the core cover. He then began to join with his brother.  
  
* ARMISAEL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!? * Zeruel called out.  
  
Armisael would have smiled, had he been able to. * I cannot allow you to continue to destroy this city. I will stop you...now."  
  
Armisael felt a surge of power as he attached himself to his brother's core. With a sigh, he caused both cores to collapse.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
The shockwave from the two cores exploding was tremendous. Touji and Shinji were tossed from the sky. People all over Japoness were knocked flat to the ground. Everyone in the castle was on their knees, everyone but one.  
  
Arael remained standing, watching the mushroom cloud that was once her brothers expand slowly upwards towards the sky.  
  
The shockwave had another effect. It rattled the fallen form of Eva-04, whose eyes began to flicker.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Lorelei slowly got to her feet and looked out over the city. Several areas remained ablaze from the 14ths Attacks and the area near the battle seemed flattened, but the city remained standing.  
  
"Is it over?" she asked, "Did we win?"  
  
A loud roar from the edge of town was her only reply as the 3rd Angel rose to its feet. It looked around until its eyes came to rest on the crater created by the resent explosion. Only one thought went through its mind.  
  
Vengeance.  
  
It started to head towards the city when it noticed that an object had been underneath him.  
  
The Lance of Longinus.  
  
The Angel picked up the Lance, feeling its power pulse in its hand. It then turned and resumed its march towards the city.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Shinji coughed and slowly got to his feet. He looked over to see a massive crater where the 2 Angels had last been fighting.  
  
"Oh." He said. He then looked around. "Touji?"  
  
Touji sat up nearby, "I know we're immortal...but if I keep getting hit by explosions its gonna kill me."  
  
Shinji smiled. His smile vanished as he spotted the 3rd Angel marching towards the city with the Lance in its hand.  
  
"Tell me I'm seeing things." said Touji.  
  
"You mean the 3rd Angel heading towards Japoness holding the only weapon that can destroy it?" asked Shinji, "Nope, you're not seeing things."  
  
"Great." muttered Touji, "What should we do now?"  
  
"Stop it."  
  
"How?"  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Battery after battery of guns fired at the Angel from the few remaining positions left on the city wall. The Angel continued to walk towards the city, the shells bouncing easily off its AT-Field. Every now and then, a different kind of explosion went off against the AT-Field from the efforts of Shinji and Touji. These also had no effect on the Angel.  
  
"So this is it." said Otaru, "The end of Japoness."  
  
"Not if I can help it." said Yui. "I defeated the 6th, I can defeat the 3rd."  
  
"No! Wait!" shouted Asuka, but Yui had already vanished.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Yui appeared above the Angel. She watched as explosions went off around the Angel.  
  
"I will not lose." muttered Yui. A helmet flashed into existence on her head and lance appeared in her hand. She dove downward towards the core, holding her lance before her.  
  
Shinji turned and spotted his daughter diving at the Angel.  
  
"YUI! NO!"  
  
Yui's lance connected with the Angel's AT-Field and immediately stopped. Yui grunted as she pressed the lance forward, trying to force it through the field. She was so occupied with her attack, she never saw the hand heading her way.  
  
Shinji could only watch as his daughter was sent hurtling away from the Angel, impacting hard against the ground. Yui struggled to her knees but collapsed back to the ground. The Angel roared in victory and began to approach Yui.  
  
"NO!" Shinji screamed. He flew in front of the Angel and began to push against the Angel's AT-Field, trying to slow its approach. Touji joined him seconds later. Both struggled to keep the Angel from getting any closer to Yui.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"NO!" shouted Asuka. "YUI!" she tried to teleport to her daughter's side, but was still too weak.  
  
"Bloodberry," said Otaru, "How fast can you get to her?"  
  
"Not as fast as Lime, But I'll try." She turned and began to speed away."  
  
"Oh my god." said Lorelei.  
  
Otaru turned back to see Shinji and Touji tossed aside. The Angel approached Yui and brought its foot up over Yui.  
  
Asuka screamed. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Arael had stood and watched as Lime cried over her fallen friend. She had watched Armisael sacrificed his life for the lilim, as had her brothers Leliel and Tabris. Now she watched as Sachiel prepared to crush the life out of Yui.  
  
'Angels are nothing but vicious killers!' came Misato's voice.  
  
'....Angels were those big monsters that attacked earth a long time ago..' came Lime's voice.  
  
'....You made us relive the worst moments of our lives.' came Sayoko's voice.  
  
"No." Arael said softly.  
  
'..vicious killers!..'  
  
'..monsters....'  
  
'...worst moments of our lives....'  
  
'..Momma! I'm Pilot! Look at me!...'  
  
"No..not this again.not now."  
  
'Momma!'  
  
'Tell the First Child.. I understand. Good-bye, my Sister.'  
  
Arael looked over at Rei. She still lay on the ground, unconscious. She turned her head and saw Lime, no longer crying but still holding tightly onto Marine. She then turned back to the Second Child, screaming as the 3rd and 4th children were tossed out of the way, allowing Sachiel to move straight towards Yui.  
  
'Whatever you did,' came Yui's voice, 'you need to let it go and move on. If Aunt Sayoko trusts you, that's good enough for me.'  
  
Arael glanced over at Unit-04. She noticed the eyes of the Eva flickering. She knew she had a decision to make. She turned sharply as the 2nd Child screamed one more time. Arael's eyes flared bright red as she made her choice.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Asuka as the 3rd Angel's foot started to come down. Bloodberry, running at top speed, was still minutes away. Just feet from crushing Yui, the massive foot froze, an AT-Field preventing it from reaching Yui. The field flared, knocking the 3rd Angel back away from the fallen Guardian.  
  
Cherry turned and looked at Asuka. "Did you do that?"  
  
Asuka stared stunned, "No...I can't do an AT-Field. If I had the power to raise a shield...it would have been blue. Who could have...." Suddenly Asuka knew who did it. She slowly turned to face Arael. Arael was floating just off the ground, her eyes glowing bright red. "Arael?"  
  
"I won't let him harm her." Arael said softly, "I owe both you and her that and so much more."  
  
"What?"  
  
Arael was no longer listening. She slowly floated upwards from the balcony. As soon as she cleared the castle her body began to glow bright white and shift. Snowflake wings sprouted from her back and began to grow in size. Asuka shivered as Arael took on the form that she remembered from so long ago.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Sachiel recovered quickly from the shock of running into Arael's light of the soul. Seeing it was no longer present, Sachiel started moving forward again, determined to kill the daughter of the Guardian's. Then he spotted a shadow of lilim, one of the mechanical constructs that cohabited this world with the lilim. It had moved to the fallen Guardian and was trying to escape. Sachiel growled in anger and had just started to follow when he was engulfed in a bright light. He blink, trying to clear his vision. When it return, he found himself standing over an orange colored ocean, and ocean full of the life blood of Lilith, what the lilim called 'LCL'.  
  
'What is this?' he thought.  
  
With a flash, he found himself in heaven. 15 figures in gray robes bowed before 3 figures. 2 wore the same gray as the 15, the last one wore a colorful robe and sat behind a desk.  
  
'Kami-sama.' muttered Sachiel as he looked at the man behind the desk, the two in front however....  
  
'Father? Mother? How can this be?' He then realized who the 15 were. His brothers and sister, all together.  
  
"You 15," said Kami-sama rising from his desk, "are tasked with the clearing of the surface world of demons." Kami-sama stepped beside Adam and Lilith. "You will take your orders from Adam. Once the demon threat has been neutralized, Lilith will begin to seed the world with the life I have planned for it."  
  
Adam smirked, but only the other Angels caught it.  
  
The view then shifted to a large plain. Dead demons littered the plain, the ground soaking in their blood. Adam floated over the corpses, Sachiel, and Bardiel behind him.  
  
"Adam."  
  
Adam turned to see a Goddess floating towards him. He sighed as he realized who it was.  
  
"What can I do for you Verdandi?"  
  
Verdandi floated next to him. "Kami-sama wants an update."  
  
"We have cleared this continent of the demons. As we speak Lilith has begun to release her offspring."  
  
"Very well. I will inform Kami-sama." Verdandi vanished in a flash.  
  
"That bitch is becoming annoying." said Bardiel  
  
"Hush Bardiel." Adam said, "We only have to put up with it a bit longer, and then we will rule this world."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Bloodberry arrived back at the castle with Yui. Shinji and Touji arrived shortly there after. Yui now stood before a very annoyed Asuka.  
  
"What were you thinking?! You could have been killed!"  
  
"Do you have to yell at her right now?" asked Shinji.  
  
Asuka turned and glared at her husband, "What?!"  
  
Shinji pointed towards the 3rd Angel, still frozen in a shaft of light from Arael.  
  
"We have an Angel to stop and I don't know how long it will stay there."  
  
Asuka immediately went quiet. "How do we do it? It still has the lance."  
  
"Can't you pull it out of its hand?" asked Lorelei.  
  
Asuka turned to Shinji. He shook his head. "Already tried it. It's like his hand is frozen around it."  
  
"I..think you guys had better take a look at this." said Luchs.  
  
"Take a look at...oh"  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"Sachiel! The others!" shouted Bardiel, "They've all been defeated!"  
  
Sachiel tossed the Valkyrie in his hand other his shoulder. "What?"  
  
Bardiel plunged his arm into the chest of another Valkyrie. "I can't get a hold of any of them."  
  
"Sachiel...Bardiel.."  
  
Both Angels turned to see their mother, Lilith floating over head.  
  
"Mother?" Sachiel said quietly.  
  
"Sleep...it is time..to sleep.."  
  
Bardiel began to wobble, before collapsing to the ground.  
  
'No..not this again..'  
  
Sachiel began to feel drowsy. He struggled to remain awake...but was fighting a losing battle.  
  
"Why..Mother?"  
  
"We are not meant to rule this world." replied Lilith.  
  
'Not again..' thought Sachiel as he watched his younger self fall, 'Why am I seeing this?... why is..wait..ARAEL!'  
  
Sachiel now found himself standing over the ocean again. Arael stood across from him.  
  
"So you figured out it was me holding you here." Arael said quietly, "It will not change anything. As we speak your destruction is imminent."  
  
Sachiel crossed his arms, "You turn against your brethren? For what? The pathetic lilim? You have become weak."  
  
"Perhaps." replied Arael, "But I will remain alive long after you are dead, returning to the service of our original master, Kami-sama."  
  
"I have no intention of allowing you to outlive me, sister."  
  
"And what will you do to prevent it? You cannot leave this plain."  
  
Sachiel smiled, "But I still hold the Lance of Longinus." Arael paled slightly. "I see you remember it. Perhaps a demonstration of its power is in order."  
  
The ocean of LCL began to froth and boil.  
  
"No!" shouted Arael, "Wait!"  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
With a load roar of outrage, the 3rd Angel reared back and raised the Lance of Longinus above its head. The lance's forks merged into one spear as the Angel threw it towards the 15th. The lance ripped through the 15th's AT- Field and then through the Angel itself. With a scream of pain, the 15th fell from the sky, its left wing collapsing downward as it fell.  
  
The 3rd Angel then turned back towards the city. It had just taken a step when it froze. It glanced downward to see the point of a progressive knife sticking out of its core. Turning slightly, it could see EVA-04 still holding the handle of the knife.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Most of the LCL had leaked out of the entry plug. Sayoko still sat in the seat, half in the LCL, half out, clutching the side of her body tightly. Sparks spat out from the controls and from the shattered electronics along the gash. Sayoko coughed up more blood before she spoke.  
  
"Forget....about me?" she coughed out before fainting.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
EVA-04 slowly sank to the ground, while the 3rd Angel's core began to glow bright. With a roar, the core exploded. The shockwave sending EVA-04 tumbling across the ground.  
  
The former Eva pilots winced as they watched the Eva smash into rock after rock, finally coming to rest on its face, more of the LCL leaking out.  
  
"At least the worst part is over." said Touji.  
  
With the bang of explosive bolts, the back panel blasted off of the Eva.  
  
"You had to open your big mouth." muttered Asuka as the rockets ignited on the entry plug, carrying it out of the Eva and into the sky.  
  
"What happens now?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"I will answer that." came a new voice.  
  
Everyone turned to see several armed Valkyries. Leading them was Mist.  
  
"Why are you here Mist?" asked Asuka. 'What kept you?'  
  
"Clean-up and recovery." said Mist, "A few dozen of my troops are removing all remains of the Angels as well as recovering the Lance and the Eva."  
  
"What about Arael?" asked Yui.  
  
Mist turned towards Yui, "That is being taken care of." She then turned back to Asuka. "A full memory block order has been issued for Terra 2."  
  
"WHAT!?" shouted Asuka.  
  
"What's a memory block?" asked Otaru.  
  
"They want to remove these last several weeks from your memory." said Asuka, "That means you won't remember anything about the Saber attacks, the Angels...or us."  
  
"You can't do that!" shouted Otaru, "You have no right."  
  
"We have every right." said Mist, "The existence of the Gods and Demons must be kept secret, otherwise chaos will engulf the world. It is best left up to their faith wither they believe in us or not."  
  
Lorelei placed her hand on Otaru's shoulder, "We understand."  
  
"However, my orders do not include any of the mortals here or the Marionettes. The rest of the planet is all that my orders call for."  
  
"Why not us?" asked Faust.  
  
"You are deemed...trust worthy." replied Mist, "But you must never speak of these events to anyone else...ever."  
  
Mist then turned to Asuka.  
  
"We return now."  
  
Asuka nodded and stood next to her husband and daughter.  
  
"Will we ever see you again?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"One day perhaps." Asuka said as she faded away with the others. "Until then, farewell."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
The next day  
  
"Clean-up continues after the big plasma storm." said the reporter, "Japoness scientists believe this was the last gasp from the major plasma activity of a month ago. It is still not known why the storms were particular violent in Gartlant. Plasma based weapon systems created in Gartlant are suspected to increased the destruction there, which also involved a large loss of life. In other news.."  
  
Bloodberry clicked off the TV. "Plasma Storms? They wiped out everyone's memory's of the Angel attacks and replaced them with Plasma Storms?"  
  
Cherry looked up from her cooking, "It makes sense. Those Plasma Storms we had before were very violent. This is very believable."  
  
"Yeah.sure."  
  
Otaru came down the stairs. "Morning.."  
  
"Good Morning Master." said Cherry, "Did you sleep well?"  
  
"Yeah. Where's Lime?"  
  
Bloodberry and Cherry looked at each other, then turned to Otaru.  
  
"She's at the castle." said Bloodberry, "With Marine."  
  
"Oh."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Lime stood next to Lorelei looking over the platform Marine laid on.  
  
"Can you still fix her?" asked Lime.  
  
"I don't know Lime." said Lorelei quietly, "Her Maiden Circuit was complex to begin with. I was still trying to understand its design. When that lance went through her, it damaged the Circuit." Lorelei placed her hands on Lime's shoulders. "I'm sorry Lime, she may be gone forever."  
  
Tears rolled down Lime's eyes. She bent over and picked up the shell where it had fallen. She placed it next to Marine's ear.  
  
"Here that Marine?" Lime said quietly, "It's the ocean. Now.you'll always hear it."  
  
Lorelei placed her arm around Lime and then the two walked out, sealing the door behind them.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
The Heavens  
  
Belldandy stood quietly in the observation room, Keiichi next to her. Both watched as the Healers worked on Sayoko. Finally, after long hours of waiting, one of the healers exited and walked towards them.  
  
"How is she?" asked Belldandy.  
  
"She lost much blood Milady." said the Healer, "One of her lungs was pierced when her side was sliced open. Also she was banged up a bit when her 'entry plug' hit the ground. She is a very tough Goddess."  
  
"She gets it from her father." said Belldandy with a smile.  
  
"Of course Milady."  
  
"And the Angel?"  
  
The Healer was quiet for several moments. "The Lance is very powerful weapon. She was lucky to make it this far."  
  
"Shouldn't someone be with her?"  
  
"There are 2 people with her Milady."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Arael lay very still. She did not want to open her eyes. The last thing she remembered was the Lance ripping into her..again. The last time she had awoken in limbo, to be repeatedly assaulted by the memories of the 2nd and 5th children. She tried hard to remain still, but finally she couldn't stand it anymore. She shifted her body, trying to get more comfortable. Pain shot through he left side, causing her to gasp out loud.  
  
"So you're finally awake." came a voice which Arael recognized right away.  
  
'No..not her...not now...' Arael slowly opened her eyes to see the Second Child standing next to her bed, Yui just behind her.  
  
"I'm...not dead?" Arael asked.  
  
Asuka smiled, "You're lucky the 3rd Angel can't aim well. He missed your core by several inches. The Healers say your regenerating nicely and should be on your feet in a few days." Asuka then turned to Yui. "Go outside for a minute."  
  
Yui turned to obey, leaving Asuka alone with Arael. Arael stared in fear at the Second Child as Asuka turned back with a slight frown on her face.  
  
"I don't know if I can ever forgive you for what you did." Asuka said softly, "But you saved my daughters life. Because of that, I'm going to give you a second chance." Asuka then smiled. "Now hurry up and heal. Yui has this strange idea your going to be working with us more."  
  
Asuka turned to leave.  
  
"Second Child?"  
  
"Please," Asuka turned back to Arael, "Call me Asuka."  
  
"Asuka then." said Arael, "Thank you."  
  
Asuka nodded and left the room. Arael laid back and for the first time in a month, she slept peacefully.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 


	19. Chapter 18: History repeats itself………sor...

Chapter 18  
  
History repeats itself...sort of  
  
5 years have past since the Angels had attacked Terra 2 (though now only 6 remember the events). The Marionettes Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry are no more. They meet their fate on board the Neo-Mesopotamia when it was destroyed. Yet they were not totally gone. Shortly thereafter, 3 cloned baby girls were recovered, each having the characteristic hair and eye color of the fallen Marionettes. As they grew, each developed the personalities previously associated with the Marionettes.  
  
"Daddy!" shouted Lime, "We're gonna go out!"  
  
Lime ran out the apartment door, followed by Bloodberry and Cherry. Otaru stuck his head out the door.  
  
"Don't forget we're meeting Lorelei for a picnic in a few hours!" he called after them, "Hey! Are you listening?!"  
  
Cherry stopped and turned around "We won't forget Father."  
  
The 3 girls ran off towards the forest. Otaru watched until they had vanished out of sight.  
  
Otaru let out sigh, "I knew raising them would be difficult...But I didn't think it was this hard."  
  
The sound of a guitar cord followed extremely bad singing reached Otaru's ears.  
  
"Oh no." Otaru turned and looked up towards Hanagata's room, "Not again.."  
  
"Today," sang Hanagata, "many pigeons attacked our gazebo...again. So I have to sing some songs for another diversion." He sang out loudly. Almost immediately, 2 figures came up behind him.  
  
"Sir."  
  
"GAH!!!" Hanagata jumped into the air surprised. He turned to see Baiko and Tamasaburo behind him. "What do you want?"  
  
"We have received numerous complaints about the noise." said Baiko.  
  
"We request you cease this activity." added Tamasaburo.  
  
"WHAT?! Are you calling my beautiful singing noise?!?!" shouted Hanagata.  
  
"Singing is supposed to be a pleasant sounding activity." said Tamasaburo, "From my observations, the only ones who enjoy your 'singing' are the howling dogs."  
  
Hanagata glared at Imperial Guard, "And what I refuse to stop?"  
  
"We will be forced to take drastic measures."  
  
Hanagata turned back to the window and resumed strumming his guitar. "Do your worst."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry were almost near the forest when they heard yelling coming from Japoness. They turned back and watched a figure soar upwards into the sky with something that looked kind of like a guitar smashed over his head.  
  
"What was that?" asked Lime.  
  
"Looked like Uncle Hana-chan." replied Bloodberry.  
  
"He must have been singing again." said Cherry, "So what do you want to do?"  
  
"Play with the Pontas!" shouted Lime.  
  
"You always want to play with the Pontas." said Bloodberry, "I wanna do something else."  
  
"Like what?" asked Cherry.  
  
"Those boys started coming around again...Let's beat'em up!"  
  
"Bloodberry! Violence doesn't solve anything."  
  
"Hey!" interrupted Lime, "What's that!" She pointed towards the sky.  
  
A shaft of purple light seemed to come down from the sky into the forest. Coming down the shaft was a bright sphere of light.  
  
"Is that plasma?" asked Bloodberry.  
  
"I don't think so." said Cherry.  
  
"I wanna see!" shouted Lime. She began to run towards the light.  
  
"Wait! Lime." shouted Cherry. She and Bloodberry quickly followed Lime into the forest. The three came to a stop in a clearing where the shaft ended. The sphere of light came down and settled in the clearing. It and the shaft then faded away, leaving a young boy standing there. He wore a pair of blue pants with a loose white shirt. When he turned to face them, they saw he had markings on his face, two triangles under each eye, and a square turned on its point on his forehead. He turned and seemed surprise to see the three there. He then smiled.  
  
"Hiya!"  
  
"HI!" shouted Lime.  
  
Bloodberry and Cherry looked at the boy strangely, "How did you do that?" asked Cherry.  
  
"Do what?" he asked.  
  
"Float down like that. Are you an Angel?"  
  
The boy smiled, "Something like that. I'm surprised though, most people wouldn't have seen me. You 3 must be special."  
  
The 3 girls grinned at the compliment.  
  
"I'm Lime."  
  
"I'm Cherry."  
  
"I'm Bloodberry."  
  
The boy smiled, "Nice to meet you. I'm Keima Morisato."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"Ummmm Auntie? Have you seen Keima?"  
  
"Which one? Your brother or your Grandfather?"  
  
"The brat."  
  
"That's not nice Yoko. He's your brother."  
  
"Yeah yeah. Have you seen him?"  
  
"No. Why?"  
  
"He vanished on me again."  
  
"Go ask Yui, maybe she's seen him."  
  
"I did. She hasn't seen him."  
  
"Have you checked the Garden?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Kaji and Misato's?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Your other Grandfather's office?"  
  
"Yes. I've checked everywhere. I can't find him."  
  
"He'll turn up. He always does."  
  
"I don't know...Mom might get worried."  
  
"She's like that. Don't worry about it. What kind of trouble can he get into anyway?"  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Keima Morisato, age 4, carefully peered around the tree. Seeing no sign of anyone, he moved quickly and hid behind another tree. There he looked around again. Still no one. He started to move again when something dropped on him.  
  
"GAH!!" he shouted.  
  
"GOT YOU!" shouted Bloodberry, "Tag your it. KEIMA'S IT!"  
  
"Darn it." Keima muttered. He leaped to his feet and closed his eyes. "One...two...three....  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
"They still won't listen to me." said Otaru, "I know why they acted the way they did last year, but now..."  
  
Lorelei smiled as they walked along the street. "They're still kids Otaru. Kids don't always listen to their parents." She then laughed, "If you think its bad now, wait till they become teenagers."  
  
Otaru looked at Lorelei confused, "What do you mean? What's going to happen then?"  
  
"They start dating."  
  
Otaru stopped dead in his tracks. "Dating?"  
  
"Yes, dating."  
  
Otaru let out a long moan. "Just what I need, boys calling the house every night asking for them.  
  
Lorelei laughed, "It won't be that bad. Besides, you're doing pretty well. Except I think you need to call me more."  
  
Otaru blushed as Lorelei wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"It gets so lonely in the castle with no one to talk to." She said quietly. She started to lean towards Otaru's face. Otaru watched as Lorelei moved to his lips when he noticed something. He turned to see a familiar red-headed figure in a robe who appeared to be watching them. Lorelei grabbed his chin and turned his face back to her.  
  
"What's so important that you looked away?" she asked.  
  
"I thought I saw.." He turned and saw the figure had vanished. "I thought I saw someone watching us." He shrugged. "Maybe I'm seeing things."  
  
Lorelei frowned for a second. She then turned and began walking. "We have to meet the girls."  
  
Otaru looked back one more time before following. Had he looked up towards the rooftops, he would have seen not one, but two figures watching him and Lorelei.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"You owe me dinner."  
  
"I do not think so. She would have kissed him had you not distracted him."  
  
"I can't help it if men are attracted to my radiant beauty."  
  
"...."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I said you're acting like your mother."  
  
"Oh yeah? Well, you're acting like Aunt Rei..."  
  
"Well she is the Mother..."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"So why are you down here?" asked Bloodberry, "Is heaven that boring?"  
  
Keima nodded, "I don't have anyone the same age as me to play with. My sister's a lot older then me. She tries to have fun with me, but she has other responsibilities."  
  
"So what do you do for fun?" asked Cherry.  
  
"I go off into the gardens, or bug a Valkyrie to play with me. I find stuff to do." He then glanced at them. "What do you do for fun?"  
  
"I play with the Pontas." said Lime.  
  
"I like to pick flowers." said Cherry.  
  
"I like to fight." said Bloodberry.  
  
Keima frowned, "Fight? Fight who?"  
  
"Oh there's this gang of boys that keeps trying to bully me around. Their leader is a real funny looking."  
  
"Big round kid? Bushy eyebrows? And hair only on the top of his head?"  
  
Bloodberry nodded, "Yeah! That's him! How'd you know?"  
  
"Uhhh Bloodberry." Cherry began taking a few steps back.  
  
"What?" Bloodberry turned around and found herself staring at the gang leader, the other 5 boys standing behind him.  
  
"Funny looking am I?" the gang leader said.  
  
Bloodberry started to back away when she stopped. "Hey wait a second. You can't hurt us. Remember what happened last time!"  
  
The gang leader rubbed his head. "Yeah, I remember. But this time we're far enough from Japoness no one will hear you." He and the gang began to advance on the 3 girls.  
  
"Ummm Excuse me."  
  
The gang stopped and turned towards Keima.  
  
"I think you should leave them alone."  
  
"Oh yeah?" said the gang leader, "What you going to do about it?"  
  
Keima smiled a second before raising his hand. A small ball of light appeared. The gang stared at Keima stunned.  
  
"What..what are you?" stuttered the gang leader.  
  
"I'm their friend." Keima said with a smile. "Now leave you idiots!" As he shouted, Keima tossed the ball of light at the gang. The gang stared stunned at each other as 'idiot' appeared on their foreheads. The gang stared in surprise at each other. Keima also stared at them in surprise.  
  
'I didn't think I'd get them all.'  
  
"Gah!!! " the gang screamed and ran off, leaving the 3 girls laughing at them.  
  
"That was great!" said Bloodberry, "But won't people wonder how that appeared on their heads?"  
  
"It will fade in a few hours." said Keima, recovering from his surprise, "I'm not that strong yet."  
  
Cherry glanced at her watch, before looking at the other girls. "We have to go. Father and Lorelei will be waiting."  
  
Lime turned to Keima, "You want to come with?"  
  
"I wouldn't want to intrude." Keima replied.  
  
Bloodberry grabbed him and pulled him along. "Come on. They'd want to meet our new friend."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"So how has the research been going Tiger?" asked Lorelei.  
  
She and Otaru had met up with Tiger and were currently sitting on a hillside waiting for the girls to join them.  
  
Tiger smiled at Lorelei. "We have discovered much about Terra 2. We even believe we may have come up with a way to eliminate the threat of plasma storms completely."  
  
"Where are Faust and the others?"  
  
"Lord Faust is in New Texas trying to get support for our research." replied Tiger, "Luchs and Panther are still working to keep us funded as well."  
  
"What about you Tiger?" asked Otaru.  
  
"I have been traveling with Lord Faust, aiding him in his research. However, I couldn't pass up the chance to see Lime." Tiger smiled, "How are they doing?"  
  
Otaru looked off to the side, "I think you're about to find out. Here they come."  
  
Lorelei and Tiger looked over.  
  
"Who's that with them?" asked Lorelei, "Looks like a boy."  
  
Otaru frowned slightly, "I'm not sure. He doesn't look like he's from around here."  
  
Tiger gasped. Lorelei and Otaru turned around and looked at her. "What?"  
  
"He has markings on his face." replied Tiger, "Kind of like the goddesses." She whispered.  
  
Otaru squinted at the boy, "You sure? I can't tell, they're still a bit far away."  
  
"I'm a marionette remember. I have better vision then you."  
  
They remained quiet until the 3 girls and the boy had gotten closer. Now that they had gotten closer, Otaru and Lorelei could plainly see the markings on the boys face.  
  
"Hi girls!" shouted Lorelei.  
  
"LORELEI!" shouted the girls, running to her and each grabbing her in a hug.  
  
"Hey!" said Tiger, "Don't I get something?"  
  
"TIGER!" Lime leaped at Tiger, knocking her over.  
  
"So whose your friend?" asked Otaru.  
  
"Father, Lorelei, Tiger," began Cherry, "This is Keima Morisato. We met him out in the forest today."  
  
The 2 adults and the marionette glanced at each other, before turning back to the boy.  
  
"You wouldn't happen to know of a Sayoko Morisato would you?" asked Lorelei.  
  
Keima nodded. "She's my sister. How do you know of her ma'am?"  
  
Lorelei smiled, "I met her a long time ago. How is she? The last time she was here, she left before I could say good bye."  
  
"She's well ma'am. But very busy."  
  
"Would you like to join us for lunch?" asked Otaru, "We have plenty."  
  
Keima bowed, "I would be honored to sir."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
The heavens  
  
"....and at their current growth rate, it will be approx another 15 to 20 years before the female clones reach the age when they will be able to have children of their own." said Belldandy. "It will probably be another 10 years after that before Terra 2 will have stabilized enough before the Wish restriction can be lifted."  
  
"You mean before it is time for us to consider its removal." said one of the other council members.  
  
Belldandy frowned slightly. "Yes, of course."  
  
Kami-sama then stood up from the head of the table.  
  
"If there are no questions?" He looked around. "Then I thank Belldandy for her presentation and call this meeting to a close." The other gods began to get up and leave. "Belldandy, one moment please."  
  
Kami-sama waited until only he and Belldandy remained in the room.  
  
"You have been working very hard on this." He said quietly.  
  
"Yes Father. I really want Terra 2 to become a normal world, like the other colonies."  
  
Kami-sama smiled, "Of course. That is what we all want. You have done well."  
  
"Thank-you Father."  
  
"Now..How is my Grandson doing?"  
  
Belldandy hesitated slightly. "He is doing well.."  
  
"Belldandy." Kami-sama looked at her concerned, "I know you're not telling the truth."  
  
Belldandy looked down at the ground. "I don't get to see him that much because of work. When I do, I'm not able to do much with him because I'm tired from work, or he's already asleep. Also, his teachers tell me he skips his classes and runs off somewhere." Belldandy sighed, "Keiichi and I discipline him, but it's like he's not paying attention to us."  
  
Kami-sama smiled, "It sounds like he's being your typical child. As for your work, I think your do for a vacation."  
  
Belldandy looked up. "Father?"  
  
"Go spend time with your family. I'll give time off to Sayoko, Skuld, and Urd as well."  
  
Belldandy hugged Kami-sama, "Thank-you Father." She then turned to leave.  
  
"Oh by the way..." Belldandy stopped and looked back at Kami-sama. "It seems he's taking a page out of your book."  
  
Belldandy looked at Kami-sama questioningly.  
  
"He seems to have taken a little trip."  
  
Belldandy's eyes widened. "Where?"  
  
"Terra 2."  
  
"Terra 2? What's he doing there?"  
  
"I do not know." said Kami-sama, "But Yggdrasil detected him using his powers. He hit a higher level then he has before. Almost class 2."  
  
Now Belldandy was totally shocked, "But...he's still only 3rd class and he hasn't shown any signs of class 2 power before."  
  
Kami-sama smiled, "Ah but you know the source for a god's power is the love of others. Perhaps he has found that source."  
  
Belldandy began walking towards the door. "I have to go."  
  
"I understand." replied Kami-sama.  
  
As soon as Belldandy had left the chamber, she sent off a strong telepathic message.  
  
* Yoko! *  
  
On the other side of heaven, Sayoko winced.  
  
* Yes Mom? *  
  
* Keima is on Terra 2. Meet me at Yggdrasil in 5 minutes. You can explain how he got there on the way to retrieve him. *  
  
Sayoko winced again. * Yes Mom. *  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Terra 2 Japoness, an Alley  
  
Yui Ikari and Arael stood patiently beside a small pocket mirror. Yui glanced at Arael.  
  
"Chronos didn't say what Belldandy-sama wanted?"  
  
Arael shook her head. "Only to prepare to meet her and be her escort while she is on planet."  
  
The mirror on the ground began to glow and shake. With a pop, Belldandy and Sayoko burst out of the mirror and landed on the ground in the alley. Yui and Arael both bowed.  
  
"Milady."  
  
"We're not in the office." said Belldandy, "You know you can call me by name."  
  
Yui looked up confused, "This isn't work related?"  
  
"No.... this is family business. You're here because I consider you family and also you've been on planet observing for awhile now."  
  
"Why are you here Lady Belldandy?" asked Arael.  
  
"Keima is on Terra 2." Belldandy turned and gave Sayoko a look. "He sneaked off again." Sayoko looked down at the ground. Belldandy then turned to Yui. "I assume you know where Lorelei is?"  
  
"She and Otaru went out with a picnic basket. I think their on a date. Why?"  
  
Belldandy smiled, "I thought they should be together. I hate to disturb them, but they might help find Keima." Belldandy started to walk towards the alley's exit.  
  
"Ummm Belldandy-sama." Belldandy stopped and looked back at Yui. Yui held up a hooded cloak. "You'll need to wear this. Lorelei is the only adult female on the planet. The rest of the females are marionettes. With this there are..less distractions."  
  
Belldandy grabbed the cloak and put it on. She then pulled the hood over her head, hiding her face from view. The others did the same and then they left the alley as a group, quickly blending into the crowd. As they walked, Yui moved next to Sayoko.  
  
"How did Keima leave the heavens?"  
  
"He sneaked out and used a gate." said Sayoko.  
  
"How'd he get the gate to open?"  
  
"It's not that hard to do. Mom did it the first time she went to earth and met Dad."  
  
"How long did she stay?"  
  
"A week."  
  
"A week?" Yui glanced at Belldandy, "So why is she so determined to find Keima and bring him back?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"He seems like a nice boy." said Lorelei as she watched Keima, the 3 girls, and Tiger running around playing.  
  
"You met Belldandy." said Otaru, "and her daughter. They were also very pleasant."  
  
"The girls seem to be having fun." said Lorelei, inching closer to Otaru.  
  
"Yeah.." said Otaru, paying attention to the girls.  
  
"...and Tiger is enjoying herself." Lorelei inched over more.  
  
"yeah." suddenly Otaru stiffened as he felt Lorelei's breath on his neck. He turned and found himself looking her in the eyes. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Would you like me to explain?" said Lorelei.  
  
"Ummm sure."  
  
Lorelei moved forward and pressed her lips to Otaru's. Otaru was startled, but calmed down quickly, enjoying the sensation of Lorelei. He brought his arms up and wrapped them around her.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
"What are they doing?" asked Lime.  
  
Tiger turned and stared at the sight of Otaru and Lorelei kissing. "Ummm..They're talking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Ummm." Tiger tried to come up with an answer. Not finding one, she resorted to an old tactic: distraction. "Hey aren't you 'it'?"  
  
"Hey!" Lime gave to chase to Tiger. As she got close to Keima, Bloodberry, and Cherry, they took off trying to get away. This went on for several minutes before Keima froze in his tracks. Lime ran over and tagged him.  
  
"Gotcha!" she cried, "You're it!"  
  
However, instead of chasing someone, Keima remained frozen in place, staring at something.  
  
"Hello?" Lime waved her hand in front of Keima's face. "Tiger! Something's wrong with Keima."  
  
Tiger, Cherry, and Bloodberry walked over. Tiger knelt down in front of Keima.  
  
"Keima, what's wrong?" Keima just swallowed and continued to stare. Finally Tiger turned to see what he was staring at. Four cloaked figures stood on the edge of the clearing. Tiger moved in front of the kids. "What do you want?"  
  
One of the figures walked forward until she was a few feet from Tiger. It then raised its arms and removed its hood, revealing itself to be Belldandy.  
  
"I've come for my son." She said quietly.  
  
The other 3 figures approached and removed their hoods, revealing Sayoko, Yui, and Arael.  
  
"I assume he has been behaving himself." said Belldandy to Tiger.  
  
"Yes Belldandy-sama." said Tiger.  
  
"Who are you?" said Bloodberry quietly. Cherry and Lime peaked out from behind Tiger.  
  
Sayoko walked over and knelt in front of Lime. "You don't remember me?"  
  
Lime shook her head. Tiger spoke up.  
  
"They don't remember anything that happened before the Neo-Mesopotamia."  
  
Sayoko nodded and then looked back at Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry. "I'm Sayoko, Keima's sister. And you are Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry."  
  
"You're right!" said Lime, "Hey how'd you know?"  
  
"Cuz I knew you from a few years ago." said Sayoko with a smile, "Now, where's Otaru and Lorelei."  
  
"They're talking over there."  
  
Sayoko looked in the direction indicated and then blushed. "...talking huh?"  
  
"Yep. That's what Tiger said they were doing."  
  
Sayoko looked at Tiger who shrugged.  
  
"Let Otaru explain it." said Tiger.  
  
"Right. Come on girls. Take me over to them. I haven't seen them in years."  
  
Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry grabbed Sayoko's hands and started to pull her towards the couple. Then Lime stopped.  
  
"What about Keima?"  
  
Sayoko glanced over where Keima currently was looking down at the ground while under the gaze of their mother. "Mom wants to speak to him."  
  
"Oh.Ok."  
  
Yui, Arael, and Tiger followed the four, leaving Belldandy alone with her son. For several long moments, neither said anything. Finally Keima spoke.  
  
"I'm sorry I came down without permission." said Keima, "You were in a meeting. Onee-chan and Dad were busy, and I was bored."  
  
Belldandy remained quiet, so Keima continued.  
  
"I remember the stories you and Onee-chan told me about this place and I wanted to see it. I met Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry when I arrived. They saw the gate. Since then we've just been having fun."  
  
"Was there anything else?"  
  
Keima looked up at his mother. "What?"  
  
"Was there anything else you need to tell me?" Belldandy repeated.  
  
Keima looked down at the ground.  
  
"Yeah. A gang tried to beat them up. I got all 6 of them. They looked funny with idiot plastered on their foreheads." He looked up with a smile, but it vanished when he saw the look on his mother's face.  
  
Belldandy slowly moved forward and grabbed him tightly in a hug.  
  
"I'm glad you're alright." she said, "I'm also glad you were there to help those girls..." Keima began to perk up, "however.." Keima's smile vanished at his mother's tone, "..you will be punished for leaving the heavens without permission. Now let's go see Otaru and Lorelei."  
  
Belldandy and Keima walked over to where Sayoko and Yui were relentlessly grilling a blushing Otaru and Lorelei. Arael sat off to the side observing.  
  
"I thought you two would make a cute couple." said Sayoko with a smile, "I can't wait to tell Asuka."  
  
"Do you have to?" asked Lorelei.  
  
"Yeah, she does." said Yui, "Mom has been asking me for the past 5 months how you are doing."  
  
Lorelei frowned, "You've been down here for 5 months? Why?"  
  
"I'll answer that." Everyone turned and looked up at Belldandy. "We still have to keep watch for demons as well as monitor the world and make updates on when..certain things take affect."  
  
Otaru looked over at Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry. "Girls, can you go off and play."  
  
The girls looked at him curiously. "Why?"  
  
"Because there are some things that you're not allowed to hear."  
  
Sayoko pulled Yui up and then moved toward the girls. "Com'on. Let's go play a game."  
  
"Yah!" shouted the girls. Lime raced over and grabbed Keima.  
  
"Com'on! You're still it!"  
  
Keima looked up at his mother who nodded. He then raced off with Lime. Yui went over and grabbed Arael.  
  
"Come on Arael." said Yui, "You're going learn how to play tag."  
  
Arael looked at Yui confused, but followed her anyway.  
  
Belldandy was now left alone with Otaru and Lorelei.  
  
"You wished to ask something?"  
  
"Do you know what happened after you left." asked Otaru, "What happened to the girls?"  
  
Belldandy nodded, "I am aware of what Dr. Hess did."  
  
"Why didn't you stop him?" Otaru practically shouted. "I nearly lost the girls because of him. Hell..I did lose the girls, and then got them back as babies. All I want to know is why?"  
  
Belldandy closed her eyes for a few moments and then looked at Otaru.  
  
"There is only so much we are allowed to do here." she said quietly, "We could interfere before because it was the actions of demons. This last time however.."  
  
"It was because a mortal did it," said Lorelei, understanding right away, "not one of you."  
  
Belldandy nodded. "If it's any comfort, many of us were hit hard by their loss. We were very happy to know they survived in a way."  
  
Otaru sighed, "I understand. I suppose it isn't any easier for you, to have all those powers and still be unable to do anything."  
  
Belldandy thoughts drifted back to Keiichi last day of life...before he passed to the heavens permanently. "You have no idea." She said quietly.  
  
The sound of giggling caused Belldandy to turn around. She watched as her son ran from Cherry, trying to avoid being tagged.  
  
"Your son is quite a gentlemen." said Lorelei, "I haven't seen the girls enjoy themselves this much in a while."  
  
"Keima seems to be enjoying himself as well." said Belldandy seeing the grin on her son's face.  
  
" I don't suppose he'll be staying?"  
  
"No." Belldandy said softly, "I came to bring him home."  
  
"Oh." said Lorelei, "The girls won't like that."  
  
"Maybe he can visit?" asked Otaru.  
  
Belldandy turned and looked at Otaru before turning back towards her son.  
  
"Guess not."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Several hours later, back in the heavens.  
  
Belldandy sat quietly on the couch in her living room with her eyes closed.  
  
"You alright?"  
  
Belldandy opened her eyes to see Keiichi leaning over her.  
  
"Am I a monster?" she asked.  
  
Keiichi was at a loss for words. "A what?"  
  
"A monster."  
  
"Of course not." replied Keiichi, "What gave you that idea?"  
  
"I brought back Keima from Terra 2." Belldandy said quietly, "I felt so bad separating him from those 3 girls. The look on his face and theirs was heartbreaking. But I had to. He still needs training." She glanced at Keiichi. "Does that make me a monster?"  
  
Keiichi sat down across from Belldandy.  
  
"Let me ask you this. When you came down to earth the first time, did you enjoy yourself?"  
  
Belldandy smiled, "Of course I did. I met you."  
  
"Now, Kami-sama ordered you to erase my memory and return after we made that promise. What did you think of him then?"  
  
Belldandy looked down at the floor. "I hated him. I didn't want to do it, even though I was going to get punished if I didn't. I was miserable for weeks after word."  
  
"But you changed your mind." said Keiichi.  
  
"After awhile, after more training, I understood why he gave the order. I still didn't like it, but I accepted it."  
  
"Keima will get over it. In time, he'll understand why you did what you did, just you did with Kami-sama."  
  
"I hope so Keiichi." said Belldandy. She turned her head and looked up towards Keima's room. "I hope so."  
  
In his room Keima thought back over the days events, especially of Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry.  
  
"I will see you again." He said quietly, "I promise."  
  
From outside his room, Sayoko watched through the crack of the partially opened door.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
17 years later.  
"Yes Dad." A dark blue haired girl said into the phone, "I understand Dad, you told me the same thing last year. I know you love me, I love you and Mom too. Say hi to Cherry and Bloodberry for me. Good-bye."  
  
Lime hung up the phone and leaned back against her dorm room wall. The last few years had been interesting. She and several others had been the first female students of Japoness University. She and the other girls had received a lot of attention, more so for her because she looked like and had the same name as one of the famous Japoness marionettes. Some people even thought she was the marionette.  
  
Heh, that was silly. Her a marionette. Of course, now that she thought about it, her sisters also looked like and had the same names as the other two marionettes.  
  
Lime shook her head. That was another silly thought. She sighed and finished unpacking her clothes. Classes would be starting up soon and she still needed to find an after class job. A loud gurgling sound alerted her to the fact she was hungry. Not having gone shopping yet, she decided to order take-out.  
  
"Hello you reached Faust's. Our hours of operation are..." 'click'  
  
Lime dialed another number. This time only the busy signal was heard.  
  
"Grrrr." Frustrated, Lime hurriedly dialed the next number.  
  
"Hello," came a female voice, "you've reached the Goddess Relief Office. A representative will be down shortly."  
  
"Huh?" Lime looked at the phone, "Didn't I call the House of Xian?"  
  
"Hello?" came a male voice.  
  
Lime froze and slowly turned around. A man in his early twenties and dressed in a strange robe stood in her room. He had strange marking on his face. Two triangles under each eye and a square on its point on his forehead. However she wasn't worried about that at the moment.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
"Calm down!" the man said, "I'm sorry! They still haven't changed the name yet."  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm."  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
The man looked at his watch. "You're going to have to stop and breathe sometime."  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHhhhhhHhhhh.." 'cough cough' Lime regained her breath and prepare to yell again.  
  
"Please don't. I'm not here to hurt you."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
The man pulled a business card out of his robes. "I am Keima, God 1st Class Type 2 Unlimited. I am here to grant you a wish."  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
Outside the dorm across the street, 3 figures sat and waited on a rooftop. One kept scanning the other rooftops.  
  
"Will you stop that!" muttered Yui, "You're driving me nuts."  
  
"I am looking for the Imperial Guard." replied Arael, "They are usually patrolling."  
  
"They wont see us." replied Yui, "I made sure that..."  
  
"SHHHHHHH!!"  
  
Both women fell silent as the third glared at them.  
  
"He's been in there for 5 minutes now." said Sayoko, "It could happen at any moment and I don't want to miss it."  
  
Everyone was silent again for several moments.  
  
"Did you know it was going to be Lime?" asked Yui.  
  
Sayoko shrugged, "Grandpa doesn't tell me anything about who he chooses. From what I know, he allowed her a wish when she was a marionette. Maybe he felt she deserved another."  
  
"What do you think she'll wish for?"  
  
"I don't know. This really isn't the Lime we knew. She's been around a lot longer now then the marionette was. She's an entirely different person no."  
  
Sayoko was cut off as there was a bright blue flash coming from the dorm. A narrow blue light shot out of the roof of the dorm, heading heavenwards.  
  
"There it goes." said Arael.  
  
Sayoko pulled out her communicator as she continued to watch.  
  
"Peorth? That transmission from Terra 2, do you.? You do? What was it?" Sayoko listened carefully to what Peorth said. Arael and Yui waited patiently. Suddenly Sayoko went pale.  
  
"She wished for WHAT?!?!?! How did..He got..she wanted.." Sayoko stuttered for several more seconds, then she shook her head to clear her thoughts. "What does Mom say? She did? Un huh. Yeah..She would. Alright. Bye Peorth."  
  
"Well?!" Yui and Arael leaned closer. "What did she wish for?"  
  
Sayoko sighed and looked back at the dorm. "Keima won't be coming home for a while."  
  
Yui and Arael were quiet for several moments.  
  
"Does this mean your going to come down here in a few months and bug Lime about why she isn't putting the moves on your brother?" asked Yui  
  
Sayoko turned and glared at Yui.  
  
"I AM NOT URD!!!"  
  
"Perhaps she will come down here to break them up because she misses her brother and wants him to come home." said Arael.  
  
Sayoko put her head in her hands, "I'm not hearing this."  
  
"Or maybe she'll come down and defend him from Lime's jealous sisters?" added Yui.  
  
Sayoko turned and glared at Yui.  
  
"Why do you keep bringing me up? Don't YOU have a crush on him?"  
  
Yui blushed and looked away. "No I don't."  
  
"You do."  
  
"I don't. He's younger then me!"  
  
"He's a god! An immortal! Does it matter?"  
  
"I babysat him for crying out loud!"  
  
"So? You still have a crush on him."  
  
"Do not."  
  
"Do so."  
  
"Do not."  
  
Arael let out a sigh as the two argued and looked back towards the dorm in time to see two figures with boxes walking off into the night.  
  
"So it begins.." said Arael quietly.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 


End file.
